The Empire of Winter
by Shadowwolf1997
Summary: Rated M for paranoid The North rises from a single decision that will forever change the lands beyond the neck. As the South falls time and again, the people of the North weather the storm and survive to stand tall. The lands of summer snow bow only to the great Direwolf, king of the forest. And so the First Men Rose
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone this is Shadowwolf1997 coming to you with a new story. Been reading a lot of Stark fanfiction lately and I have to say I've been inspired by We were all the Nowhere Men, Sigma7, and Caekdaemon and their alternate histories for House stark and the North, so here it is** _ **The Empire of Winter.**_ **Disclaimer, I do not own A song of ice and fire and I write this only for the joy of it, not to make money.**

Prologue

Three Thousand years before the Andals touched the shores of Westeros, a Great change was coming to the North, also know as the Winterlands. The old king Beron Stark, had passed, and in his place was his young son, the new King of Winter and Magnar of Winterfell, Bjoern Stark. Bjoern was a young man of twenty and five but an accomplished warrior and skilled strategist. When he came to the throne, the young king was looking into ways to bring a new era of peace and prosperity to the North.

But his plans to help his people were halted before they could begin by an attack on the Wall by a new King-Beyond-The-Wall, his name, Magorn of the Frostfangs. He too was looking to better the life of his people. He look to the lands south of the Wall and brought together a host of Seventy thousand to bare against the Kingdom of Winter. Among this host were giants and mammoths.

Bjoern brought the might of the Winterlands against the army of the Free Folk, and they meet in a massive pitched battle. The battle raged for the better part of the day, beginning at dawn and lasting well after the sun had reached the middle of the sky and dusk began its approach. However in the end, due to better training, discipline, weapons, and strategy the Free Fold were defeated and their leaders brought before Bjoern.

As he stared at Magron and the other Wildling leaders, Bjoern couldn't help but think of what differences distinguished him from his enemies. While it was true the North had similarities with the Southron kingdoms, they shared far more in common with their more northern cousins, both even having a grudging respect for the other despite the refusals both sides would give. And the Giants certainly weren't human, but that didn't mean they had to die. No being can chose who it's parents were and besides, the Giants could be valuable assets and allies in time of crisis. It was then that Bjoern would make a decision that would alter the course of history.

He gave the Free Folk a choice, they and their Giant allies could come to the Winterlands, they could keep most of their traditions except for the practice of stealing wives, and their women could even serve in the King's armies. The price was they would be loyal to Winterfell and answer the King's call to war and to keep the peace among the other Northmen. To help give more incentive he proclaimed, in front of chieftain and lord alike that they were different the First Men of the South. They knew of the hardships of the Northern Winter, of the sight of the wall, the frozen air of the forest, be it the Wolfswood or the Haunted Forest. All of them kept to the Gods of the Earth, the Air, and the Rivers, the many nameless gods who watched over them from the eyes of the Weirwoods. Life was harsh enough on both sides of the Wall with them constantly killing each other, two groups more alike than they were willing to admit.

Knowing he had said all he could Bjoern waited for the Chieftains of the Free Folk to reply. After a long pause of silence many thought they would throw the Stark king's offer back at him with insults. But than, to the surprise of all present, Northern, Free Folk, and Giant alike, King-Beyond the Wall Magorn kneel to Bjoern and said, in words immortalized in the runic histories found within Winterfell's library and engraved above the Winter Throne itself.

"My duty as King is to provide for my people, if I must swallow my pride and accept kneeling then so be it. Your terms are fair and better than I would have thought possible, I will be your spear and your warrior through the dark of Winter and your ploughman in the fields during summer. If you will take this old man as your warrior, then I accept."

Then one by one, most of the other chieftains of the Free Folk followed old Magorn and swore their loyalty to Bjoern. Then, the King of the Giants, Dagron the Immense, big even for a giant at Eighteen feet tall. The great giant knelt before the 6'7 Bjoern, towering over him even as he knelt a swore to be his hammer and his warrior.

For this, Bjoern named Dagorn the Magnar of the Giants and gave him land in foothills of and mountains around the Long Lake. Here the giants would build a massive fortress known as Dagshold ruled by House Dagren, the first House of Giants in the Winterlands. He also made Magorn the Magnar of the Stony Shore and would have him build a port town and keep to defend against the Ironborn. And to further seal his alliance with the chieftain by marrying his spearwife daughter of twenty, a young woman kissed by fire with the temperament of an angry direwolf and one of the most beautiful women on either side of the Wall.

Those Free Folk who refuse to kneel were allowed to return North of the Wall with now harassment and where even allowed to keep their spears and bows, for Winter was Coming.

With the large group of Free Folk and Giants came the Mammoths. These massive beasts would soon become a key fact of life in the North and in time each castle would own their own mammoth herd while villages and towns through the North maintained several of the great beasts. The mammoths were used as beasts of burden, a source of wool and food, and perhaps the most important, living engines of war.

Two months after the signing of The Pact of Winter. Bjoern would marry Magorn's daughter, her name was Ygritte, and she would become known as the Wolf Queen for the ferocity she showed in battle. Together the two would have a son and three daughters and would grow to love each other deeply.

Upon his death and the rise of his son, Magorn Stark, as the new King of Winter, Bjoern Stark would go down in history as The Magnificent Wolf.

And so the First Men Rose


	2. Expansion and the Andals

**Hey I'm back with another chapter of Empire of Winter. Again I do not own a song of Ice and Fire, that honor belongs to George R. R. Martin**

 **Expansion and The Andals**

During the age of of Magorn Stark's Great-grandson, Donnor Stark came to the Winter Throne. He was called the Beast by friend and foe alike for three reasons during his lifetime. The first reason was that he was born a Warg, the first Stark king to be a Warg in fact. It was also Donnor who built the Wolf Pen in Winterfell. This was the second reason he was called the Beast as within the Wolf Pen dwelt the new pride of House Stark, a large pack of Direwolves. Capable of holding over fifty of the great beasts, they were to be used not only as the literal guard dogs of Winterfell, but the friends and companions of the Starks. Donnor's own personnal Direwolf was a massive black beast with feral orange eyes named Skagos, the Old Tongue's word for stone. The third and final reason was King Donnor's founding of the Order of the Beastmen. This Order was made up exclusively of Wargs loyal to the Winter Throne. They were the eyes and ears of the North, some of the greatest trackers in the world, and men and women of unquestionable loyalty. They were the King's scouts on the battlefield and his living war machines.

It was also during this time that Donnor began making plans to conquer the Iron Islands and end their constant harrying of the Stony Shore. With the castle of House Frostfangs, the descendants of the King Beyond the Wall Magorn, the great citadel of Wavecrest, as his base of operations, King Donnor planned in meticulous detail the invasion and conquest of the Iron Islands. He knew he wouldn't be able to bring many mammoths with him, but he had tens of thousands of Wargs and foot soldiers as well as hundreds of Giants.

The plan called for 30,000 men-at-arms, spearwives, and Wargs along with 300 giants split in between three man attack forces. The first wave led by Cregan Frostfang would take Blacktyde and turn it into a forward outpost to launch attacks on the rest of the islands. Once Blacktyde had been secured, the Northmen would launch a three pronged invasion.

One force led by Rickard Umber would lead the attack on Old Wyk and Great Wyk while Lyrra Mormont and Wun Dagren would attack Harlaw and Orkmont. And King Donnor himself would lead the assault on Pyke.

Later that year, the Invasion of the Iron Island began. The Northmen smashed the Ironborn on Blacktyde within hours of the first ships landing ashore. As the Ironborn tried to repel the Northern Fleet, the continuously fell into traps and were but on the defensive, courtesy of Northern Wargs and their bird companions who could spot the Ironborn's long boats from miles away. And so the Northern fleets outmaneuvered the Ironborn at every turn, and in a large sea battle off the coast of Oakmont, the Winterland's Western fleet smashed the fabled Iron Fleet to splinters and sent thousands of Ironborn to their Drowned God.

The Smashing off the Iron Fleet had the unforeseen consequences of having Orkmont, SaltCliffe, Old Wyk, and Harlaw to surrender as the Ironborn were no watch for the Giants and superior numbers of the Northern Army. Only Pyke and Great Wyk refused, and the Islands were but to the sword.

After he killed the King of the Iron Islands, Dagmar Greyiron, he took his daughter Asha, his last living child and sole survivor of house Greyiron, as his wife, thus annexing the Iron Islands to the Kingdom of Winter. In his victory Donnor allowed the Iron Islands to continue reaving the lands below the neck, but the Winterlands were off limits. They could also continue their Worship of the Drowned God, but had to plant Weirwoods in their castles for any who might worship the Gods of the Forest.

Having no choice and seeing the terms as better than they could have hoped for, the Ironborn bent the knee, their Independence forever lost to them. With the destruction of the royal family and its sole survivor now Queen of the Winterland and the Isles, House Greyjoy of Pyke were made the Magnars of the Iron Islands and the Sentries of the Sunset Sea. In time, the Greyjoys would become some of the Starks most loyal bannermen, but that was a thing that took centuries to occur.

With the conquest of the Ironborn, the Winterlands settled into an age of entrenchment and exploration. Their navigators became some of the best in the world, many of them born on the Iron Islands or the harsh northern coasts. While their sailors explored the world, the Starks spent most of their time and resources turning the North into an impenetrable fortress. Great Sea Walls bristling with defenses, large trenches filled with spikes, wall with catapults mounted on their towers, stronghold carved from the rock of the land itself became the a common sight along the eastern and western coasts.

On the Iron Islands old mines were turned into underground fortresses, tunnels were carved that would lead a besieged force out of to the rear of the enemy and smash them from the rear. Many new harbors were established, often hidden in secret underground grottos that the Ironborn used as shipyards to build new ships and resupply.

Beyond the Wall a small colony was set up at the peninsula just north of the massive barrier. In time the colony grew to be the city of Hardhome, seat of House Froststark, a cadet branch that formed when a daughter of King Jon Stark led an expedition to increase the Winterlands holding beyond the Wall. Hardhome would become a major trading center in lumber and amber to be sent South and across the sea to Essos.

Another colony was set up by the Mormonts in the Northern half of the Bay of Ice in the shadow of the Frostfangs. The castle that was built there was named Jeor's Fjord and would become and an important fishing and whaling center, as well as a sentry to watch over the Frozen Shore and Lands of Always Winter. The cadet branch that springs from the Mormonts is named House Sentry.

Life would continue like this in the Winterlands for centuries, as roads, villages, and strongholds slowly filled the land. While not as populous as the Reach or rich as the Westerlands, the North became the strongest of the Kingdoms. Their soldiers were born in the harsh snows of the Winterlands or the rocky, unyielding Iron Islands. Born in such places the warriors of the Kingdom of the Winterlands and the Isles were the hardest men in Westeros. This did not even count the Northern Mammoths, their Giants, or the Wargs, which were rare below the neck. The land itself was a fortress that had only been reinforced by the Starks over the ages.

But times were changing, and in the lands of the Vale arrived a new enemy, the men of Andalos, the Andals. In the Vale they exterminate both the native First Men and any Children of the Forest they found. Only a few native First Men houses were allowed to survive the massacre and became intermarried with the invading Andals. Surviving Children of the Forest fled to the one safe place to them at the time, the Winterlands. The King at the time of the Andals arrival offered them sanctuary, and they joined their Northern brethren in the one known city of the Children in Westeros. It was called the Foresthome and was built in the center of the Wolfswood.

Around this time, a house expelled from the Reach came to the North begging for aid, they were House Manderly, a Half Andal House but still they came to the heavily anti-Andal North for salvation. Seeing their pitiful state the King of the Winterlands and the Isles let them in a gave them the City of Whiteharbor, now needing a new Magnar to replace the rebellious Greystarks who sided with the Boltons in their latest Rebellion, and both paid by having all male members killed and their daughters married to loyal Magnars. And so it was that the first Manderly Magnar married the last daughter of House Greystark, and abandoned the gods of the Andals for the Gods of the Forest.

Also they Northmen decided to smash the pirates of the Three Sisters and add the Sistermen to their growing kingdom. In a five month campaign the First Men of the Sisters were brought into the Kingdom of the Winterlands and the Isles. House Sunderland was made Magnars and Wardens of the Bite while House Manderly was made the Shield of Whiteharbor. The Sistermen were also allowed to continue their raiding as long as it was not against subject of the Winter Throne. They were also allowed to continue worshipping the Lady of the Waves and Lord of the Skies, but also had to plant Weirwoods on their islands.

As the Andals spread throughout the South, marrying into or displacing the First Men, or as in the Reach, simply allowed in, killing the Children and burning the weirwoods to please their seven strange and rigid statue gods the Children fled to the North and Foresthome. As more and more Andals came and as the slowly cut out the worship of the Gods of the Forest, the surviving Children decide that to survive they would need the protection of the Starks of Winterfell. And so it was, after centuries of living independently with their tree city and living in harmony with the Northern First Men, the High greenseer of the Children, an ancient being named Wolf Sight came before the King of Winter and Iron, Magnar of Winterfell and the Giants, King Theorn Stark, and pledged the loyalty of the surviving Children to House Stark, kneeling before the King and all but begging him to save his people.

Legend has it that the Stark king rose from his throne and ran to the old greenseer and raised him to his feet saying "Do not beg before old one, there is no need, I swear now by the True Gods of the Earth that as long as my family rules your people will always have a home hear.

And so the New Pact was formed, which named Wolf Sight's family as the new Magnars of the Tree City of Foresthome, and they would later take the name House Wolfsight after the old greenseer's death. Also to further the alliance between the First Men of the North and the Children a unique marriage was proposed, Theron's oldest son, Theon Stark and the Great Granddaughter of Wolf Sight, a beautiful Child of the Forest and young for one of their kind at only a twenty and a hundred named Oak, a young greenseer would be married in the Godswood at Winterfell. It is said that the young Stark's love for his new wife would be what encourage him to seek revenge upon the Andals, and it was revenge he would get.

In thanks for the king's generosity, the Children would teach the North a secret art of metalworking they had learned during the Long Night to help fight the Others. They taught the Northmen how to forge Winteriron, metal infused with the children's magic and blessed before a Heartree and capable of killing an Other or a Wight. They presented the then Prince Theon with the first blade of Winteriron, a two handed great sword as pale as ice and as sharp as a direwolf's fang, the hilt was wrapped in black leather and made of weirwood and had bronze wolves made to be eternally and snarling Theon named the blade Ice, and it would become the family sword of House Stark.

Years later when the Andals led by the Andal warlord Argos Sevenstar attempted to attack the North's eastern Coast, he and his Andals were met with not only the daunting coatal fortifications, but also the army of Northern Warriors, Ironborn Berserkers, Wargs, Giants, Mammoths, and the Wood Hunters of the Children of the Forest. And leading this vast and mighty host was the now King Theon Stark the Hungry Wolf his blade Ice drawn and his Direwolf Beron at his side . Argos and his host of forty thousand Andals were slaughtered in the Battle of the Weeping Water, the only survivors the few ironsmiths, who Theon tortured into revealing the secrets of iron working. The septons who were captured were fed to the Direwolves of the Wolf Pen, the High septon had the "honor" of being fed to Theon's direwolf Beron, the great beast was said to have taken his time killing the unfortunate zealot.

Deciding to pay the Andals back for all the pain the had cause his now beloved wife's people, King Theon led an expedition across the Narrow Sea, and torched the whole coast line of Andalos, destroying over a hundred Andal villages, twenty castles, and seven septs, along with every poet he could find to disrupt the flow of Andals to Westeros. He lined the shores of his kingdom with thousands of Andal heads and became known to the Andals as "The Heathen Wolf" while in the North he was called "Andals Bane."

Upon returning from his raid into Andalos, Theon returned in time to witness the birth of his first child with Oak, and squalling baby boy with all the stark features, brown hair, a long face and gray eyes. But one could see the blood of the Children in the boy, for he had nut brown colored skin and his gray eyes were slitted like those of a cat as were as claws instead of nails. It is said upon seeing his son he went to exhausted wife Oak and kissed her deeply and said "Look at the little miracle the gods have given us my love." The Queen did not respond, for she was too busy crying in joy not only for the birth of their son, but also the return of her husband. The crying baby, half his blood that of men and the other that of the children, was named Cregan. In time the King and Queen would have three daughter, all taking the Stark features from their father, but with the slitted eyes and nut brown skin of their mother. Their names were Maege, Lyanna, and Arya.

In time Cregan would come to the Winter Throne, the squalling baby replaced by a man of average height, but with a keen intellect and great wisdom. He was also a powerful greenseer and Warg and commanded great respect from all of his Magnars. It was he who created the title that would be carried by his later descendants "Guardian of the Winterlands and the Isles, Protector of the Gods of the Forest, Magnar of Winterfell, and King of the First Men, the Giants, and The Children of the Forest."

As he was his mother was one of the Children, Cregan lived to be over a hundred and twenty years old and became known as the Venerable. Seen as the worst kind of abomination in the eyes of the Seven to the Andals, may warlords tried to conquer the North and kill him. Their bones would either line the bottoms of the swamps of the Neck or the waters and Shores of the eastern coast.

And when the age of the Andal invasions came to an end and when the dust settled, the South was run by the Andals and their Statue gods, with their language and writing replacing Old tongue and Runes. But in the North, the blood of the first men remained strong and due to the efforts of Cregan and his successors, the Old tongue and Runes survived South of the Wall. The North would split itself off from the rest of Westeros, Wanting nothing to do with the Andals and the First Men who had turned their backs on not only the gods, but also their own culture.

The North emerged from the Andal Invasions more secure than it had ever been before, with stronger weapons taken from captured Andals and new allies in the form of the Children. The Wintertown of Winterfell evolved into the Wintercity, the beating heart of the North and the jewel of First Men culture.

And so the North Rose.

 **Hey everyone here's chapter 2 now it was brought to my attention that I messed up on the Timeline for this, but in this story the Andals invade five thousand years before A.L. not six thousand so there. Hope you all enjoy this one and stay tuned for next chapter.**


	3. The North Kills

**Hey y'all I'm back with a new chapter of Empire of Winter. Now I was conversing with some readers who were kind enough to give me some suggestions. On of the main topics was giving the North Ice Dragons, and I have decided to give them a form of air power, but decided on something new, so no Northern Dragons, but I hope you like the surprise. Disclaimer: I do not own a Song of Ice and Fire that great honor goes to George R.R. Martin.**

 _ **The Andals Last Grasp and The North Grows**_

 _The Andal Crusades_

In the centuries following the last wave of Andal incursions into Westeros, the Winterlands and the Isles remained a mystery to the tall Fair Haired warriors of the Faith of the Seven. The fact that an entire nation of heathens refused to embrace the "Light" of the Seven and killed and septon sent North to save their souls enraged the Andals Kings of the South. A summit was called by King Loras Gardner II, who invited the Durrandons, Arryns, Lannisters, and Teagues to the meeting. He proposed a great invasion to snuff out the last remaining remnants of the "Heathen Tree gods and their creatures" referring to the Giants, the Children, and Wargs. He claimed that the First Men of the Winterlands were ignorant children who allowed themselves to be fooled by abominations and to work with beasts. He said that together they could bring all of Westeros under Andal rule, and the rule of the Seven. Eager for glory and the treasure of the North, as well as a few of the Kings being led on by zealotry, the other kings agreed.

This planned Invasion was called The Crusade of the Seven, and its goal was to bring down the Kings of Winter and Iron and end the last bastion of the First Men.

Together the five kings rallied an army of over 1500 banners, with close to two hundred foot soldiers and thirty five thousand Knights. This large force also had a considerable number of Warrior's sons and Poor Fellows, eager to kill the followers of the Gods of the Forest.

The Invasion was a three pronged strike, one directed at the Iron Islands, another at the Sisters and White Harbor, and finally the main assault would be launched on Moat Cailin. King Tyrus Lannister would lead the assault on the Iron Islands supported by the Redwyne Fleet while King Osmund Arryn II would lead the attack on the Sister and the eastern coast of the North. And finally, King Loras, King Davos Durrandon, and King Jonos Teague would attack Moat Cailin. This Andal Coalition would be called the Alliance of Five Kings.

The plan seemed perfect, with no gaps in its strategy and absolutely no way the savage and barbaric Northerners could resist the full might of the Andal South. Such thoughts would be put to rest, in the waters of the Sunset Sea, the Bite, and under the bogs of the Neck.

Unbeknownst to the Alliance of Five Kings, Northern Greenseers had foreseen the invasion, and King Beron Stark III prepared his people for war.

He gave orders to the Greyjoys and the Ironborn to wait for the Lannisters and Redwynes, and the "Send them to your Drowned God and burn their Shores." Magnar Quellon Greyjoy replied "With Pleasure, the Drowned God needs new oarsmen." They were also to wait from reinforcement from the Frostfangs, Mormonts, and Sentries. In the east, He ordered the Manderly, Karstark, and Froststark fleets to converge at Sisterton along with The Sisters Fleet and prepared for the Valemen. In the Neck he gave his good brother Magnar Eddard Reed a simple mission, "Bleed Them."

While this was happening, King Beron and his sons Torrhen and Brandon gathered an army of forty five thousand men, A thousand giants, seven hundred Children wood hunters, three dozen mammoths, and over three thousand wargs.

He sent Torrhen to Pyke with eight thousand men two hundred giants, and five hundred wargs. while Brandon was sent to White Harbor with six thousand men, a dozen mammoths, a hundred Giants and four hundred wargs.

This left king Beron to march to the Moat with thirty one thousand men, seven hundred wood hunters, seven hundred giants, two dozen mammoths with litters of archers mounted on their backs, and over two thousand wargs.

The first battle came in the Bite when the Arryn and Durrandon fleets struck at the combined might of the Winterlands eastern fleet. Leading the Stark forces was Magnara Arya Froststark from her flagship, the _She-Wolf_. Against her was the incompetent Arryn commander Lord Marcus Corbray, who fell headlong into a deadly trap set by Magnara Arya. Setting her ships in a crescent formation and allowing the Andals to push back the center of her fleet, Arya was able to trap the combined Vale and Stormlands navies in a pincer, before giving the order to the beastman on board to release his hawk and give the signal. Nodding the member of the Order of the Beastmen released his hawk and warged into the bird and found the remaining ships of the fleet a screeched, the signal to move in for the kill. As the Andals tried to flee the trap, the ones able to escape the pincer turned to run into the rest of the eastern Wolf Fleet. Over two hundred Andal warships traveled to the Sisters, less than three dozen escape. This loss would cripple the naval power of the Vale and Stormlands for centuries. Among the dead was Prince Osmund Arryn, the son and heir of King Osmund.

In the West, the Andals were harried by the Ironborn all over the Islands. They drew the invaders into trap after trap, attacked their patrols and under the cover of night. King Tyrus, leading the assault personally, quickly grew impatient and decided to strike at Pyke itself in order to cripple the Ironborn's resolve. He had no idea he was playing right into Prince Torrhen and Magnar Quellon's hands.

When the men of the Reach and Westerlands landed, the were meet by the combined might of ten thousand Ironborn warriors and eight thousand Northmen, along with their two hundred giants and five hundred wargs. With his direwolf Night Fang on his right, and his wife and long time lover Yora Greyjoy on his left, Crown Prince Torrhen Stark ordered his forces to charge. The Giants went first and shattered the Andals frontlines, wielding iron hammers as big as a man and covered in leather armor. Before the disorganized soldiers could recover, a horde of beasts and men fell upon them.

The Battle of Pyke was more like a one sided massacre than anything, the Andals being driven into the sea by the men and Giants of the Winterlands and the Iron Islands.

Many Ironborn grabbed and forced many Andals into the sea, holding them down until the sea and the Drowned God claimed them. In the heat of battle, Princess Yora Stark nee Greyjoy killed Crown Prince Daven Lannister and his younger brother Tommen. Seeing his sons killed, Tyrus made his way to the young woman who by this point was exhausted and wounded. Before he could strike however, King Tyrus was bowled over by Night Fang and came face to face with the cold, gray, slitted cat like eyes of Torrhen Stark.

Standing up, the King of the Rock spat on the ground and growled "So the son of abominations and frog eaters has come to play has he."

Torrhen continued to glare as he replied "Yes my lord father and I are descended from a Child of the Forest, my many times great grandmother Oak is a much more pleasant person than you are my king. And yes my mother was a magnara of Greywater Watch and a gentle woman so please refrain from using such terms to describe my family."

And the glared deepened as the Northern Prince scowled, "But it doesn't matter now, you tried to kill my beautiful Yora, and that is all the reason I need to kill you statue worshipper."

With that the young Prince charge the Lannister king. In a short flurry of blade, the Prince removed King Tyrus's hand, and then his head. With the death of their leader the surviving Westermen and Reachmen ran for their boats and tried to flee, only to fall into the waiting jaws of the Iron Fleet and the Western Wolf Fleet. Over half of the Iron Islands Invasion fleet was lost off the coast of Pyke, the battered remnants running to Lannisport for safety. That night Pyke was witness to a glorious celebration feast as he victorious Ironborn and Northmen gathered their spoils and swapped stories. Magnar Quellon praised his goodson's plan and said that he would be a great king one day.

That night, the Prince returned to he and his wife's bedchambers to find his wife giving him a look he knew all too well.

"You saved my life to day husband," Yora smiled as she steadily approached, "That I did dear wife, do you have something planned for me." The smirk never left Yora's face as she gestured with her finger for Torrhen to come closer. And like any smart man, Prince Torrhen obeyed his wife's orders. Moans and sounds of pleasure were heard from their room for the next few hours before the royal couple fell asleep, wrapped in a tangled mess of limbs and blankets.

It is said that was the night that the couple's first child, the future Queen of Winter and Iron, and the First woman to lay claim to the title,Guardian of the Winterlands and the Isles, Protector of the Gods of the Forest, Magnara of Winterfell, and Queen of the First Men, the Giants, and The Children of the Forest, Lyanna Stark the "Harbinger," was conceived.

In the meantime, as of yet unaware of the disastrous defeats in the east and west, the massive andal army commanded by three kings was making its way through the swamps of the neck. And every step they were harried by crannogmen and wood hunters. Arrows tipped in multiple types of poison, son capable of killing a man in seconds, others that prolonged the pain by days hit the advancing army from the deeps of the trees. Any man who left the road to attempt to track down the enemy vanished into the deadly swamp. Disease hit the army and little relief came as the children and the crannogmen continuously attacked their supply lines.

Crannogmen wargs used serpents to strike and poison enemy commanders and lizard lions to suddenly jump from the marshes, grab a hapless Southerner, a drag them screaming into the brackish waters.

Finally, of the one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers and twenty five thousand knight who began their journey up the neck were reduced to a hundred thousand soldiers and seventeen thousand knights. Among the dead was king Jonos Teague, who had his horse's leg grabbed by a lizard lion, which then pulled the beast and its rider into the waters of the neck, neither ever emerged from those dark and murky waters.

Upon reaching the Moat, the exhausted and superstitious Andals looked on in dread at the warden of the neck. A massive fortress of stone upon a hill that rose above the primordial lands of the Neck. Twenty stone towers lined the fortress, each looking like a formidable castle in its own right. Bristling with scorpions and catapults all aimed at the sole road of the Neck, the legendary Moat Cailin looked to the Andals like something out of a nightmare. And above the battlements hung the Gray Direwolf of House Stark. And taunting the Andals from the tallest tower was King Beron himself, by his side the High Greenseer Bracken Wolfsight.

Chanting in the Old tongue, the Child of the Forest knowingly provoked the fanatical Andals, the greenseers meer presence an insult to them.

Stepping forward, King Loras Gardner approached with the High Septon and seven of the highest ranking members of the Most Devout and spoke to the Stark king,

"King Stark, this will be your only chance to save yourself, your House, and your people. Surrender here to us now and renounce your tree gods, make the Ironborn scum give up their heathous Drowned God, and the Sistermen abandon their ridiculous Lady of the Waves and Lord of the Skies. Convert to the true faith, the Faith of the Seven Who are One. Rid your lands of the monstrosities and abominations that invest it like rats, and the High septon has even agreed to forgive your ancestor Theon the Heretic Wolf for marrying one of the abominations. Also the faith has generously decided to officially bless your marriage to your wife and make your children the legitimate heirs to the North, and the same will go with all your lords. Finally if you burn all the heathen weirwoods within your lands you and all your lords and sons will receive Knighthoods and those unmarried will be given proper ladies as wives, and not your savage spearwives."

When the Stark remained silent the King of the Reach continued, "If you fail to do this, you and every man in all houses sworn to you will be killed and your wives and daughters given to true men who follow the proper gods. I hear your wife Lyra Reed is quite a beauty for a bog devil, it would be a shame for her to have to know a hundred true men to erase the sin of having lain with a heathen."

This was what finally got a reaction out of king Beron who all but snarled at the threat leveled at his wife and mother of his children before he replied. "Come try you Southren flop, many before you have tried, and their bones all lie just beneath you in this marsh. You aren't the first, nor will you be the last army to assault the Moat, but you will be broken upon it like all those who came before, so come statue worshipper, your gods can't help you here, this is the domain of the Gods of the Forest. And here's what I have to say about your Seven while I'm at it."

Then in front of the Horde of religious zealots and fanatics, King Beron Stark spat on the High Septon, thus making no delusions on how he had taken the offer.

In all the righteous fury of a man who had his beliefs literally spat on, King Loras ordered the Southron armies to charge. With a great yell the Andals charged, and were met with the arrows, scorpion bolts, and catapults of the Moat. From the Neck, hundreds of arrows struck the Andals in the sides and rear as the Crannogmen and the Children unleashed their poisoned arrow heads.

As the First Andals reached the curtain wall, Stark archers and Wood Hunters unleashed pots of burning oil and venomous snakes upon them. The narrow causeway limited the number of men the Andal armies could bring to bare, thus nullifying their greater numbers. Seven times the Andals charged, and seven times the were repulsed, leaving more and more men dead. On an eight charge, King Davos Durrandon was hit by a scorpion bolt in the left soldier and had to be dragged from the field. King Loras Gardner tried to rally the surviving Andals, but the final knell for the Andals would come in the form of a howl.

And then gates of the Moat opened, and out charged two dozen mammoths with litters of archers on their back, three hundred giants, and all thirty one thousand men brought by the king. And leading his men with the largest direwolf in possession of House Stark at the time, a great gray beast with green eyes named Fury, with the Winter Iron sword Ice in hand charged the Andals with his army of wargs, Giants, Mammoths, and loyal soldiers behind their king.

The army of Winter cut through the Summer knights of the South and shattered their already battered lines. In the melee, the High Septon was set upon by Fury and torn to pieces. This horribly demoralized the remaining Southron warriors, but the real blow came only moments after word. In the battle, King Beron caught sight of King Loras and charged the Andal leader. The two kings clashed for a short time before it was clear that not only Beron was the better swordsman, but that Ice was a better blade than Loras's steel weapon. Faking a stab to the right, Beron then slashed on the King of the Reach's unprotected left and slashed deep into his chest, killing the Gardner King.

The Death of King Loras shatter whatever will the Southrons had left and the surviving Andals fled. They were harried the entire way by the crannogmen and the children. Of the one hundred and seventy five thousand warriors who entered the Marsh, less than forty thousand would ever see home again.

The Battle would be forever known in the North as The Breaking of the Andals while in the South it was know as the Slaughter at the Moat.

Following the battle Torrhen and his brother Brandon coordinated attacks on Lannisport and Gulltown, sacking and burning both cities of the the Westerlands and the Vale. In the Reach, the Ironborn raided and plundered the Mander, taking many valuables, and Yora's brother Victarion Greyjoy would even claimed two women of House Tyrell and one from House Rowan of Goldengrove as saltwives.

And King Beron marched down from the Moat and torched the northern Riverlands, bringing with his army a Weirwood carried upon a platform, so the eyes of the gods were watching over him and his men. He also used the Weirwood as an execution stand for captured Andal lords, and hung their entrails from its branches, sprinkling their blood on the bone white tree.

Andal might was shattered in all the Southern Kingdoms except Dorne and would take decades to recover from. The North received relatively light casualties and emerged practically unscathed from the Five Kingdoms War as it came to be called.

After just over a year of constant defeat, the Andal kingdoms begged the North for peace. King Beron was happy to accept, but with consequences. The Andal kingdoms all had pay to tribute large amounts of gold and silver as "reparations," the Reach had to surrender the Shield Islands to the Ironborn, the Vale had to give all control of the Shivering Sea and the Bite to the North, the Lannister fleet was limited to thirty warships, and the Stormlands had to surrender thousands of steel weapons.

 _Wings of the North_

The Southern Kingdoms would never again try to attack the North, which would enter its second age of peace and development, until the dragons came.

Following the War of Five Kingdoms, the smiths of the North improved the making of Winter Iron. Before, the metal had been incredibly enhanced Bronze combined with chunks of iron to make it stronger. With Andal iron working now at their command, the smiths of the Winterlands and the Isles created a new Winter Steel. Even lighter and stronger than Winter Iron, these pale blades engraved with runes were matched only by Valyrian Steel, and Winter Steel blades, while rarely found outside the North, even managed to find their way into the hands of some of the Freeholds Dragonlords.

Old Winter Iron blades such as Ice were not rendered obsolete by Winter Steel, but did become less common until only a few remained, almost all within the North.

The years following the Breaking of the Andals were good ones for the North. Deciding to unite both coasts to increase the movement of his fleets and Northern trade, King Beron Stark ordered the construction of the Winter Channel, a great channel going from the White Knife to Blazewater Bay. With the aid of the Giants and Mammoths, construction of the great canal took only fifteen years. The increase in trade from Northern Essos proved beneficial to the North, put surprisingly did not cause many problems with Dorne which became a center of trade with Southern Essos. A sort of unspoken arrangement arises between the two regions, the Dornish control the warm waters of the South and the Northmen rule the cold waves of the North.

Upon his death, King Beron was succeeded by his oldest son Torrhen, who would become King Torrhen Stark I, also know as "The Lionslayer" for killing King Tyrus during the War. It was during his reign however that the Starks would discover something that would forever change history.

Beyond the Wall, House Froststark had been slowly but surely been colonizing the land. At the mouth of the Antler River rose the keep of Stoneantler, the new home of House Mudd whose survivors had fled North centuries ago. In the Haunted forest to the south of the Antler, situated near the easternmost river that emptied out of the Gorge, was the fortress of Garon, seat of House Cromon, a Giant household. While setting off from the port of Garon explore the Frostfangs with House Sentry, Magnara Barbery Froststark and her company settled into the mountains for the night.

As they were building camp, they heard a loud screech and looked up at the sky to see something none of them would ever forget, locked in combat in the darkening sky were two creatures with fur white as snow, and feathers of a dark blue. Above the company two Frost Gryphons, creatures thought to be mere myths, fought each other.

One seemed to be trying to enter a cave, but each attempt was blocked by the defending gryphon. Finally the attacking gryphon was driven off, but the defender crashed to the ground, its wounds taking a terrible toll.

Ignoring the cries of her guards, Barbery rushed to the downed creature. The creature was larger than a horse by about a third the size, armed with a razor sharp beak, claws that could rip the young woman to shreds if the mood struck the creature, and finally a majestic pair of wings fit for any eagle attached to the creature's shoulders. As she cautiously approached the gryphon, the great beast moaning in agony, she heard the high pitched chirps coming from the , she saw four little gyphons no bigger than small dogs standing at the foot of the cave chirping at the downed gryphon.

It was quite clear now that the brave she-gryphon had only been protecting her hatchlings, and had made the ultimate sacrifice for them. As the mother began to slowly fade her eyes meet Barbery's and in that moment, the young woman swore to the mother her children would be protected. The great beast died, and Barbery had her companions gather the small gryphons before having to return to Garon.

News spread through the North like wildfire and King Torrhen authorized expeditions into the Frostfangs to track down more gryphons, and within three years, over two hundred gryphons of various ages were caught and brought to Garon. Having wargs meld with the older,more independent gryphons and having others raise the still impressionable hatchlings, a new order was born in the North, The Gryphon Riders and their first Wind Commander was Magnara Barbery Froststark and her Gryphon Ice Beak.

They were to be a new force of order in the North, and a countermeasure should the Dragonlords ever turn their gaze to the North. They would later have a keep built in the Frostfangs south of the Fist of the First Men called the Gryphon's Perch. The men and women of the Gryphon Riders could come from anywhere in the Kingdom of the Winterlands and the Isles. Warriors armed with Winter Steel blades and bows of weirwood, they maintained outposts all over the North and even a few on the Isles. In time, through the capture of more wild gryphons and successful breeding, the number of Gryphon Riders would shoot up to close to a thousand airborne warriors. The Nights Watch were given three hundred gryphons, their sacred mission of holding the Wall against the Others still remembered due to the presence of the Children, who never allowed the men of the Watch to forget what they guarded the world of men from.

With the passing of King Torrhen, a debate rage throughout the North about succession as the king died with five daughter, whom he loved deeply, but with no sons. Many thought his oldest Lyanna should inherit the throne, supported by her mother, her uncles Magnar Victarion Greyjoy and Prince Brandon Stark. The reason for the debate did not stem from the idea of women being unable to lead, thousands of years of spearwife tradition had long expelled that from the North, but that no woman had ever _inherited_ the Winter Throne before.

However Princess Lyanna was very popular with Magnar and smallfolk alike and any dissenters quickly came into line. And so crowned by High Greenseer Bracken Wolfsight with the Crown of Winter, the ancient crown of Bronze and Iron, the young princess became Queen Lyanna Stark I.

The new Queen of Winter and Iron, the spitting image of her mother with the Stark brown hair and gray, slitted eyes, ascended to a secure and powerful North. An intelligent and clever woman, Lyanna was also deeply devoted to the Gods of the Forest, but never tried to convert any of her subjects claiming "A person must follow their own beliefs, and any beliefs forced on a person who later claims to accept them can only be false words to stay the sword of execution."

This was thought to originate from her hatred of Andal zealotry and large scale murder of the Children and Southern First Men in the Andal Invasions. Looking south thought, she found herself concerned by the religious orders of the Warrior's Sons and the Poor Fellows, fanatics who tore apart any not bowing to their gods. Realizing that to counter such fanatics, she needed men similar to the religious orders, men to counter the crazed zealots with their own brand of Northern zeal.

And so in the third year of her reign, Queen Lyanna allowed for the creation of the Harbingers of the Forest. Men and women who wore mail and leather armor, wielded one-handed warhammers and shields and donned masks of Weirwood with red tears painted on them to signify the tears of the slain First Men, Children, and Giants butchered by the Andals. The first High Commander of the Harbingers was the giant Magorn Dagren, a being of sixteen feet and whose hammer was larger than a man. They were blessed by the High Greenseer Bracken Wolfsight in the sight of their new fortress south of Winterfell, Harbinger Hold, in the sight of the new Weirwood planted there.

In time the title Harbinger would come to be given to men who had served in the order and would become the Winterlands equivalent to Knighthood.

She also gave leave for the Ironborn and Sistermen to create their own orders as well, and so rose the Drowned God's Chosen among the Ironborn and the Guardians of the Lady among the Sistermen.

There were put rules on how these orders were to act however, they were not permitted raise their hands against those of the same religion they professed to defend, they could kill children were to be protectors and lawmen in times of peace.

The creation of these holy orders enraged the south, with the High Septon declaring them heathen orders and false, but the people of the Winterlands and the Isles must not have paid much heed to the High Septon words as they men and women of the Northern orders became revered among their people.

The reign of Queen Lyanna the Harbinger was long and prosperous for the Winterlands. Her King consort was Magnar Jeor Umber and together they had a daughter and two sons their names Alysanne, Torrhen, and Eddard. During her reign, Lyanna decided to mimic the Rhoynar, and now Dornish custom of the oldest child, whether male or female inherits the title. The Kingdom of Winter and Iron had a long tradition of warrior women who led men into battle and ruled as Magnaras in their own right, so the law did not cause as much of a stir as one might expect.

Upon her death her daughter was crowned as Queen Alysanne, and the North would continue to prosper.

But upon the Horizon, the flap of dragon wings could faintly be heard upon the wind.

And so the First Men Rose.

 **Hey y'all decided to give ya a long one this time, were closing in on main timeline, and I hope you're excited. Some of you can probably tell I borrowed the idea of the Harbingers from the total war mod King of Rivers and Hill, always loved looking at those guys they were awesome.**

 **Also making the North more like Dorne in that early Wildling influence about women being able to fight alongside men changed them into being more open minded about that sort of thing so this is kind of a natural evolution of that.**

 **Any suggestions, I would love to hear them.**

 **This is Shadowwolf1997, until next time.**


	4. The Wolf, The Dragon, And the Sun

**Hey everyone I'm back. First off I would like to thank all of you for your reviews and pms that have given me so many ideas. That being said I am writing this story for how I want it to go. I know I can't make everyone happy, and I am trying my best to make this a good story for my readers, but if something you wanted to happen doesn't, than all I can do is apologize and say that I hope it's not bad enough that you stop reading my story. Disclaimer: I do not own a song of Ice and Fire, that honor belongs to George R.R. Martin.**

 **I would like to thank NikHighlander for mentioning my story as inspiring one of his chapters and would like to add that his own story** ** _A different choice changes the whole story_** **played a large role in inspiring Empire of Winter**

 ** _The Wolf meets the Dragon and Sun_**

 _The Pact of the Titan_

In the North the practice of slavery had long been forbidden, its practice one of the few affronts to the Gods of the Forest. Slavers were either sacrificed to the weirwoods or sent to the Wall. Under northern influence, the practice of Thralldom in the Iron Islands would eventually die out, while the practice of taking saltwives would still be practiced, though largely abandoned by the time of the Conquest.

With this in mind, when a large Valyrian slave force took control of a vast fleet and fled North, that the Queen of Winter and Iron at the time, Queen Arya II, sent the Eastern Wolf Fleet to protect the refugees from pirates and the slavers of the Free Cities. With the Northern Fleet's help, the slaves were able to safely lead themselves to the vast Lagoon that would become Braavos. The north lent further aid by sending money and men to help fund and build the City of a Hundred Isles. Some Children of the Forest even carved Runes along the walls of the cliffs sheltering the lagoon to add protection to the city. These actions would forever endear the Northmen to the Braavosi and the two nations would become staunch allies. On the island that would become the Isle of the Gods, the Children of the forest planted a grove of Weirwoods, with a heart tree in the center with a joyful face carved into it, representing the joy of freedom for the escaped slaves.

The Northmen would keep the location of Braavos secret for two hundred years, the city serving as a resting Harbor for trade vessels, Northern Expeditions, and raiders and reavers from the Iron Islands and the Sisters, being the one city outside the Kingdom of Winter and Iron safe from their raids. Also the Iron Bank offered special deductions and fees for the people of the North that was available to no one else.

The Pact of the Titan was a treaty stating that should either Winterfell of Braavos be threatened, then they would come to the others aid and that they would always stand back to back against the world.

 _The Dragon Finally Acknowledges the Wolf_

For close to Five thousand years, the Valyrian Freehold had ruled supreme over the world from atop the backs of their mighty dragons. Their fabled Valyrian Steel, the amazing spells and works of magic they were able to create and the glory of their city was second to none. But as the ages passed, more and more tales from across the sea reached the ears of the Dragonlords of the Kingdom in the north of the Western Continent, ruled by Kings and Queens atop wolves larger than horses, rulers of Giants over twelve feet tall with hairy elephants perfect for the cold and harsh land. Tales of beings the size of Children with great and powerful magic and of men who became one with many great and powerful beasts, using them to rip apart their enemies.

But what really grabbed the attention of the dragon lord were the tales of fearsome warriors wielding blades pale as ice and as sharp as any Valyrian Steel blade, and the stories of warriors astride massive gryphons, their claws encased in the same pale metal and capable of leaving large slashes in solid stone, without their deadly claw weapons which only added to their power.

As more and more of these tales filtered over to Valyria over the centuries, many of the dragonlords became curious of the tales of this Kingdom of the Frozen North, of cities eternally covered in snow and were the harsh land wiped away most ceremonies and the extravagance usually synonymous with great and prosperous lands. A land ruled by the same family for neigh eight thousand years, whose symbol was the mightiest of all wolves, the great direwolf. Many dragonlords had originally scoffed at these stories, for there could be no land of such power, be it politically, militarily, economically, or magically in the savage and backwards west. But still the stories came, keeping the same tones and message as they had for centuries, and the scoffing turned to contemplation.

Finally, twenty years after the founding of Braavos, the Valyrians decided to see if this Kingdom of Winter and Iron was all it was meant to be. Sending a message to the city of White Harbor, a diplomatic mission was sent led by a Dragonlord of one of the greatest of the forty families, and two dragonlords from houses loyal to him. Their names were Aurion Bealon of House Bealon, Meraxiya Voltares of House Voltares, and finally Ayex Targaryen of House Targaryen. With their dragons and four hundred attendants they arrive in the Trade hub of the eastern North. They are shocked and amazed by the size of White Harbor, which at that point held over one hundred and twenty five thousand people and it the Winterlands greatest port city. Easily seen within the city was the Runelodge, the home of the Druids, the northern equivalent to the maesters But among their welcome guard was what surprised them the most, One thousand men at arms, two hundred wargs with various beasts by their sides, twenty Giants in iron armor and wielding war mauls as large as a grown man. And atop the wall of the Harbor were two hundred Gryphon riders.

Leading this procession were five Children of the Forest, including the High Greenseer Bracken Wolfsight, now reaching an old age even for a Child of the Forest. The Valyrians were surprised to say the least that the many rumors about the North were all true, their gaze lingering on the Gryphon riders for a few moments longer before they greeted the High Greenseer. Bracken merely bowed to them before asking them to follow him to the New Castle, the home of House Manderly. After the welcome feast the Valyrians began the trek North. Flying would have only taken about half a day but they were to present their gifts to the Queen of Winter and Iron in person, and so they tolerated the week long march, the Gryphon Riders following to make sure the dragons did not rampage in the countryside.

Some might have scoffed at the idea that the Gryphon riders were a threat to the Dragon lords, but that would have been a gross underestimation of the North's airborne warriors. It is very true that a gryphons feathers are incredibly vulnerable to regular fire, let alone dragonfire, and that the greatest dragons easily outclass the largest gryphons in size. But the great flying creatures make up for it with sheer maneuverability and speed, capable at rolling a full 360 degrees and turning sharp angles at a moment's notice. This combined with their smaller size makes them hard for a dragon to hit. Also their talons were often given weapons called "war claws" metal talons of Winter Steel fitted over a gryphon's talons to give them an even more terrible weapon.

Their riders were also armed with deadly weapons capable of wounding a dragon. Armed with blades and spears of Winter Steel, a gryphon rider could slash through a dragon's thick scales.

Also, while not as strong as the fabled Golden Wood bows of the Summer Islands, Weirwood bows pack almost as devastating a punch as the great trees can live millennia and are without a doubt a very strong wood. The arrows used by the Gryphon Riders are made of weirwood and Winter Steel, the Arrowheads engraved with the runes for "pierce" and "rend" and are tipped in a poison found only in the depths of the Neck.

True one dragon may equal as many as ten gryphons, but when one well placed arrow can kill its rider of pierce its eyes and bring it down with deadly poison it may not matter.

Upon arriving to Wintercity, the beating heart of the Kingdom of Winter and Iron and the culture of the First Men, the Valyrians were impressed. The City that had sprung up around the ancient stronghold of Winterfell was a massive place, easily home to over two hundred thousand Northmen and Wargs, over three thousand giants, and eight hundred Children. The city had a well developed layout and sewage system, so the city did not reek of shit. Instead, the smell of wood smoke lingered over the city, giving it a earthy and rather pleasant feel. It had five giant parks, each with a massive godswood for public use and tended to by members of the Green Men, still based on the Isle of Faces, whose members were treated with great respect North of the Neck. The city was constantly patrolled by the ever vigilant Ice guard and their wargs. The day that the Valyrian party arrived, the city was covered in a fresh layer of summer snow, with a thin mist enveloping the the city and Winterfell itself.

Ayex would later write down in his journals, "The city of the Northern Westrosi had a ethereal and magical feel when we first saw it, covered in white snow, smoke from the many fires giving the city the smell of pine and oak combined with the morning mists, and seemed to embody the spirit of the land itself."

The castle of Winterfell itself had become a massive construct, three times the size of Highgarden and with far stronger defences. Originally enlarged for the benefit of the Giants, the castle was further expanded and fortified as the Winterlands became more powerful. The First Keep had long been repaired and turned into the barracks of Winterfell's elite guard, The Wolf Fang Guard, the personal bodyguards to the royal family and the guardians of Winterfell. Inside the massive citadel were also the Beast Hold and the the Giant's Den, the first the stronghold of the Order of the Beastmen and the second a dwelling made specifically to house the Giant Magnars and their warriors when visiting the Capital. And beside the Great Hall and the main keep rose the Wolf Pen, the home of House Stark's great pack of Direwolves, including the personal companions of each Stark with the remainder of the mighty beasts being used by the Wolf Fang Guard as watchdogs. The castle was surrounded by three curtain walls and a moat, Winterfell was built to take any assault thrown against it. And of course, at its heart, the primordial Godswood and its ancient heart tree that had remained untouched since before the First Men had arrived to Westeros.

Alongside these were Winterfell's massive glass gardens, used to grow food even in the harshest winters. Glass gardens had become more common in the North, Wintercity had several glass gardens covering over two hundred acres to help provide some food during winter and the North even created its own version of glass. Northern glass differed from Myrish glass in that it was usually thicker and tougher to break, but was harder to make and more time consuming.

Within the city were orphanages for those whose parents had died, place that prepared the children all the skills they would need to survive in the harsh Winterlands. The orphanages were protected and funded by the royal family, and any strike against them was seen as a strike against the king of Winter.

Upon seeing the city, Meraxiya said that, "We had come to the North of Westeros expecting to find a barbaric and uncultured parody of a city. And while it may not match the size and splendor of Volantis and Myr, only a fool would deny the beauty and majesty of this place."

The Valyrians were led into the Great Keep before King Jon Stark II, son of the late Queen Arya II, who had died just two years prior. To his right was his wife, Queen Thora Stark nee Umber, a tall woman with brownish red hair, hard blue eyes and dressed in the same furs and mail as her husband with spear at her side, but was quite easy to look on, with a form and assets many women would kill for. She had pale, fair skin and seemed every bit an equal to her husband.

Ayex would write about the young Northern King and the throne room in his journals, "The King of the Northern Westrosi was a tall man, with dark brown hair and a well trimmed beard. Upon his head was a crown of bronze and iron, the only ornamentation upon it were the runes engraved upon it and three shards of amber embedded in the front. Before the stone seat that served as the Winter Throne stood twelve guards. These men and women, along with one giant could only be the Ice Swords, the greatest members of the Wolf Fang Guard and its captains in times of war."

"The Queen was a beautiful creature to look at, and I could not help but feel some envy towards the Northern King for having a wife that could give some of the most beautiful Lysenei pleasure slaves a run for their money. Upon her head was a circlet of bronze engraved with runes and embedded with five pieces of amber and engraved with a silver rune I would later learn stood for beauty. It was probably the most decorated piece of metal with the entirety of Northern Westeros.

"Unlike his fellow men however, the King's skin had a brownish tint to it, and where a man had nails he had sharp claws on his hands. But it was is eyes that caught your attention. They were a piercing steel gray, as cold and unreadable as steel left just outside the keep in the snow. His eyes were slitted like those of a cat, and seemed to give the impression he was staring through you. And by his side was a titanic wolf larger than even some of the gryphons we had seen and more akin to a bear, a beast of dark brown and grey fur with intelligent yellow eyes. I would later learn that the creature was the greatest direwolf ever bred from the Wolf Pens, the result of a pairing form the finest female direwolf the Starks owned and a massive wild male direwolf. The creature's name was Skagron, King Jon's ever present companion who had been with him since childhood. Flanking the throne and their king, were two Giants garbed in mail and wielding two-handed warhammers larger than a man is tall. They along with the Ice Swords were most likely the Wolf King's personal guard."

"As for the throne room itself, it was a shockingly bare and plain room. The occasional tapestry lining the wall and several banners displaying the gray direwolf of the king's family was all that occupied most of the walls of the vast throne room. But behind the throne were many old crowns and swords, torn tabards of houses long extinct, on shelves or hung along the wall, trophies collected by the Starks over their long past and taken from their defeated and dead enemies. Some crowns looked as if they had been there for millennia, their age showing even from a distance and some of the older swords were made of bronze rather than iron or steel, some having turned green with age."

"And all along the room were the various lords of the North and the Isles, men and women forged by the harsh conditions of their homes. Several had great beasts beside them, showing that they were either wargs or had simply raised the creatures from birth. Some of the northern women were actually quite pleasing to look at, the fact that they dressed in leather and mail instead of silk doing nothing to diminish their beauty. The brutish giants and the small Children also lined the wall, every bit the equal of the men and women in the hall."

Upon entering the hall, High Greenseer Bracken Wolfsight bowed before King Jon before speaking in the Old Tongue, "King Jon Stark, Second of his Name, Guardian of the Winterlands and the Isles, Protector of the Gods of the Forest, Magnar of Winterfell, and King of the First Men, the Giants, and the Children of the Forest. I bring before you the ambassadors from the Valyrian Freehold Aurion Baelon, Meraxiya Voltares, and finally Ayex Targaryen." He quickly Translating into the Andal Tongue so that the Valyrians could understand. As very few from Essos baring the Braavosi cared to learn the language of the North. Taking their queue, the Valyrians politely bowed to the Stark King.

At this the King of Winter and Iron rose from his throne, showing his full height of 6'9 and that he was a broad in the shoulders as he was tall. His wife rose with him, showing she was only three inches shorter than her husband, and showing the Valyrians a round and growing belly, showing that she was pregnant with the next ruler of the North. Gently taking his wife's hand, King Jon led himself and her down the steps of the throne the great direwolf rising to follow its master, as did the giants who followed closely behind. The Ice Sword parted to allow the King and Queen to come before the Valyrians.

Nodding his head to the ambassadors King Jon spoke in heavily accented Andal, or Southron as it was called North of the Neck, "Welcome to Winterfell sons and daughter of Valyria. I must say I never expected to see the masters of Essos come here."

Rising his head to look at the the King, Aurion Bealon spoke "We were intrigued by the tales of the the North of Westeros and decided it was finally time to meet with its rulers. If we are the masters of Essos, you are quite clearly the masters of Westeros."

This sent the King into a barking laugh and he quickly translated the message into the Old Tongue, causing the entire room save for the Ice Swords and the two Giants guarding the King and Queen into a fit of laughing.

"If only, I am only the Master of the Winterlands and the Isles, let the Andals rule the soft South, besides Dorne none of them have a spine between them and are to used to living in soft lands. But enough of these pleasantries, let us get down to business." The laughter left the King's face and was instead replaced by a solemn and grim look as he lead his wife to the throne and allowed her to sit and rest, placing her hand on her swollen belly and turned a grateful look to her husband. He smiled kindly to his wife, before turning to face the Valyrians and his face once again became a frozen mask.

"I see the stories about the Northern Westrosi not being ones for ceremony and going right to the point have not been exaggerated." Aurion said with a laugh before going serious.

"Valyria would like to start peaceful relations and trade with the Lords of Beasts and Winter, and trade right between you and our own Dragonlords. Our lands are the only ones who practice true magic and benefit from it. We would also like to assure the Northmen we mean no ill will towards you. A war between our lands would most unwise and hard to support for both our forces it is hard to transport not only giants and mammoths, but dragons across the Narrow Sea."

"Also we would like to extend trade relations to your kingdom, this would bring welcome profit to both our nations and allow for a deeper friendship between our peoples."

Nodding his head to the terms the king decided to list his own terms, "These can be easily agreed upon save for one thing, the men of the Winterlands and the Isles do not engage in slave trade, and if we catch any slavers, we either send them to the wall or sacrifice them to the Weirwoods. We will not tolerate any attempts to trade slaves in our lands ambassador, is that clear?"

Surprised for a second, Aurion bowed his head to the King, "This is no problem my lord, we are well aware of the West's dislike of slaves. It is one of the few things, if you don't mind me saying, that your people and the Andals share."

Growling at being compared to the Andals but nodding in agreement, King Jon stayed silent waiting to see if the Valyrians had anything else to say.

As it turned out the Valyrians had nothing much else to say and the rest to say was working out the finer details of what would be known to history as the Treaty of the Wolf and the Dragon. It was basically a trade agreement and an agreement not to declare war against each other signed between the Valyrian Freehold and Winterfell. Spices, silks, food, exotic fruits, and gems from Essos were traded for lumber, amber, and rare furs from the North were traded. This agreement would never grow into a true alliance however and no more major delegations would be sent between either land, before the doom.

 _The Children of Sunspear and Winterfell_

After the Valyrians left, the Northmen returned to their usual isolation from the rest of Westeros. In time King Jon and his wife Queen Thora would have three children, Brandon, Ygritte, and Maege. During his reign King Jon noticed the growing power of a unified Dorne under the reign House Nymeros Martell. The fact that the large Rhoynar population entering the Kingdom of Dorne a still the presence of many Dornish houses that proudly claimed descent from the First Men left the King to decide to entreat with the new Princes of Dorne. As it turned out, the reigning Princess of Dorne, Princess Arianne Martell had similar ideas regarding the ancient power that slept within the North.

Much to the surprise of the Dornish, the Flagship of the Western Wolf Fleet _The Tide Hunter_ arrived in Sunspear, on it was Queen Thora Stark herself along with her daughter Ygritte, and she had come to treat on her husband's behave, who could not attend himself as he had fallen terribly ill, with Dorne. Welcomed into the court of the sun, the Queen of Winter meet with the Princess of the Desert.

The court historian of the Sunspear recorded their meeting, saying that it was one of respect between the two most powerful women in Westeros at the time. A great feast was held to accommodate the Northern Queen Princess and their guard, which consisted of two Ice Swords and four Harbingers along with one Giant. Such a creature had not been seen in Dorne since the time of the First Men's arrival and cause much stir among the Dornish, although he proved to be quite popular with the children of the castle. The giant, named Theren rather amusedly allowed the Dornish children to play on him.

While the children had their fun, the Queen and Princess would meet and discuss something that would forever change the fates of the two harshest yet prosperous lands in the West.

"So Queen Thora, your husband would like to deepen ties with the most Southern of the Kingdoms. But I have to ask, why?" Princess Arianne asked in genuine curiosity.

"Our lands are far different from the rest of the Kingdoms, and your people or more Rhoynish now than Andal, and the blood of the First Men still flows thick in the lands of Dorne. That and your lands also bred a tough people much like our own, strengthened by trials of creating a life from the sand as my people make their life by battling the snow and ice. Our peoples are looked down on by the Andals in between the Winterlands and Dorne, but they also envy our wealth and power. An alliance between our kingdoms could forever deter attacks from central Westeros." Queen Thora replied with a strong voice, her Andal also thickly accented and at times difficult for the Dornish Princess to grasp.

Nodding her head the Princess decided to speak once more, "I noticed you brought your eldest daughter with you. I imagine the looks my son Prince Davos kept giving her were all part of some plan?" The sly grin the Princess of Dorne gave was matched only by Queen Thora's smirk.

"Well I would not expect to come to your home without something to offer so here are the terms my husband would like. A marriage agreement between our Kingdoms, your daughter Obara for my Brandon, and my Ygritte for your Davos. Also we will stop our subjects from raiding your ships and trade routes and in return our people will trade with yours and help guard your shipping lanes. For centuries our peoples have had an unspoken agreement, the southern trade routes are yours and the Northern ones ours. This will remain unchanged and our lands will enter a new period of friendship and peace."

Silently mulling over the terms of the proposed treaty the Princess of Dorne smiled and looked to the Northern Queen before speaking, "I believe I can agree to such an agreement that could only bring benefits for my people." And together the Queen and Princess shook hands and the Pact of the Wolf and the Sun was formalized the next day.

That night during the celebration feast Princess Ygritte Stark was alone on one of the balconies of Sunspear glancing at the unfamiliar southern stars. Dressed in a combination of silks and leathers that did well to show off her ample bosom, a silver and amber direwolf necklace around her neck, and her long reddish brown hair tied into a simple ponytail, she heard someone approach behind her. Turning she found herself staring into the chest of the Crown Prince of Dorne, Prince Davos Nymeros Martell. A true son of Dorne with olive skin, dark hair, and dark eyes and with a lithe muscular build that made the Northern princess unopposed to the idea of marrying him, During her stay here he had also treated her well, and played along well with her many flirtations, something she very much enjoyed.

Crossing her arms underneath her chest and smirking, knowing full well the effect of her actions, she spoke in a flirtatious voice, "So what brings such a handsome Prince out from such a feast."

Smiling and staring with no sense of shame at the Princess Ygritte's well shown assets, before staring into the captivating gray, slitted eyes of the Northern Princess, the Dornish Prince cupped her face in his hands and spoke in a voice that sent a slight jolt up Ygritte's spine, "Why simply to look upon my beautiful betrothed lovely face and beautiful body. And to do this…" then without warning the Dornish Prince brought his lips to her's and kissed her until the both were begging for air.

Gasping for breath as she grabbed on to the the man's shoulders Ygritte couldn't help but smile as she spoke, "Well played my Prince. I must be honest with you, I do not know if I will ever come to love you but keep treating me like this and my physical attraction to you may become something much deeper with time."

"We have only meet Princess, and I can only say I agree with you for we have only just meet and one day is not nearly enough time for us to truly fall in love. But you have been honest with me so I shall be honest with you. If such a day ever comes for us, I would count myself a lucky man." Davos said with a serious but also friendly look.

The small speech brought a small blush to the Princess's face before she smirked again and batted her eyes suggestively at the Dornish heir. "If my Prince doesn't mind I am very tired and would like to rest, but my chambers are so far from here. If my future husband would be so kind as to guide me towards a close chamber, say his own which is so close to here I would be most _grateful."_

Hearing her words loud and clear, Davos led his betrothed toward his own bedchambers, with neither being seen the rest of the night. But outside the Prince's room one could easily her the moans and cries of pleasure that came from within.

Weeks later in the sept at Sunspear the Wedding that would be the first step to unifying the North and Dorne was held as Houses Martell and Stark were united by the Marriage of Crown Prince Davos Nymeros Martell and Princess Ygritte Stark. For his new wife Prince Davos would plant a weirwood in a new Sunspear Godswood for his wife. In time the two would come to love each other deeply and be the basis of a Dornish tune, _The Sun and the She Wolf_. They would have four children, all with their father's dark hair and eyes, slitted like their mother's eyes, and with the now slightly brownish skin of their mother. The Giant Theren would stay within Sunspear to act as the protector of the Princess and her children, and would spend the rest of his life faithfully carrying out his duty.

In the North Crown Prince Brandon Stark would marry his betrothed the beautiful, voluptuous, and gentle Obara Nymeros Martell would marry in Winterfell's Godswood. The two would also come to deeply care for each other with Obara being one of the few people who could get Prince, later King Brandon "Steel Eyes" Stark to smile.

The Alliance between Dorne and the North would solidify into an unbreakable bond, the two becoming staunch allies. Dornish ships would trade and dock in the cities of White Harbor and Lordsport, often hiring Ironborn and Sistermen to protect their ships, helping led both groups even further from their pirate roots into something more like coastal guardians and patrolmen.

The Pact of the Wolf and the Sun would heavily affect the outcome of the Targaryen Conquest that would occur within a few centuries.

 _Steel Eyes breaks Skagos and raises a Warrior_

Groaning as he opened his eyes the newly crowned King Brandon Stark XII woke up an immediately smiled at the sight of his lovely Dornish wife sprawled on top of him deep asleep. He didn't know how long he spent admiring her beauty before she stirred. Opening her alluring gray eyes sleepily before she found the eyes of her husband and tiredly smiled at her husband of now four years before she cupped his face and kissed him lovingly.

"You had a smile on your face this morning, that's new." She teased as she kissed him again, a passion starting to build between the two.

Smirking as he grabbed her waist and flipped her over that she was now under him and causing her to yelp in surprise the King of Winter and Iron stated, "When I have such a vision to admire each morning when I wake up it's damn near impossible not to smile."

A smile graced his beautiful Obara's face as they kissed again, this time more urgent as the two found a new reason to love each other as moans and grunts filled the bed chamber. A few hours later, after a very relaxing morning, the pair strolled to the nursery of Winterfell. Within were their twin daughters, both looking like their mother but with grey slitted eyes and a nut brown skin. The twins were barely two years old and already the most precious things to their father besides their mother.

"How are my little Lyanna and Nymeria today? How are my two little beauties?" Their mother cooed causing the twins to giggle as Obara began to play with her daughters while Brandon watched, a gentle smile gracing his face as he leaned on the doorframe, watching the three most beautiful women in his life since his mother and younger sisters he had once been so protective of.

As he watched he heard footsteps and turned to see his father's Head Captain of the Ice Swords and Wolf Fang Guard, and now his right hand man, Harbinger Jeor Cassel come up before him and bow. "Your Grace a matter has arisen and requires your attention."

Turning to look at his wife and daughters one more time, King Brandon nodded and headed to the Throne Room, Jeor right behind him.

Sitting on the Winter Thorne, his Direwolf Wraith by his left side and Jeor on his right, Brandon listened as the Froststark and Stane messengers brought forth the latest in a series of incidents that was trying his patience. "Your grace the Skagosi of Southern Skagos refuse to heed your laws and have not only continued raiding House Stane's lands but also attacked our shipping. House Crowl and Tide refuse to heed our warnings. They even continue to practice the outlawed First Night and refuse to allow their daughters to inherit."

Deciding enough was enough the King rose from his throne as said in a strong voice, his eyes resembling the steel he was named for. " I have been patient, I have been lenient, and still the men of Southern Skagos refuse to learn their place. Send word I want a host gathered to smash them and remind them why they bow to Winterfell. Send word to House Stane that they have my full permission to retaliate any way they see fit and that their loyalty will not be forgotten. This ends NOW!"

Within a two weeks, a host of twenty thousand men and seven hundred giants had been gathered to crush the rebellious Skagosi. Kissing his wife goodbye and promising to return to her soon, a hand on her stomach, his wife having recently revealed she was with child once more, nodded tears of worry falling. Kissing aways her tears Brandon promised to return to her.

Sailing from White Harbor to the seat of House Stane, King Brandon led the charge against the rebels. In the battle for Skagos, the skagosi fought viciously, both rebel and royal, using unicorns covered in iron as miniature mammoths, their great horns and muscular bulk causing much damage. In the fighting all of house Stane save four Magnar Stane's only daughter was killed. During the battle the self declared King of Skagos managed to separate King Brandon from his guard and Wraith.

Surrounding the King of Winter and Iron with his own personal guard, the boastful skagosi bragged about how he would take and rape Obara and his daughters with his head mounted on his sword before sending his vicious guard against the wolf king. In a display of marital prowess and anger, however, the enraged Brandon Stark killed all twelve of the "Skagos Guard" but suffered many injuries. Before the rebel could attack the wound and exhausted king, a lone warrior of one of the Free Folk tribes that served Winterfell came to his King's defense, his spear and shield dueling with the rebel king in a deadly dance. Finally, using his shield to knock the Skagosi off balance the young warrior stabbed his spear through the rebel warlord's head, killing him and ending the rebellion.

King Brandon would sentence all member of Houses Crowl and Tide to be either sent to the Wal or sacrificed to the Weirwoods. After the battle he had the young warrior who saved him brought before him. The last surviving member of House Stane, Maganara Lyra also present.

"What is your name son and how old are you?" The King asked his savior.

Kneeling before his king the young lad spoke. " I am simply Bael my king, I come from no great family. My father was a hunter and my mother a basket weaver. As for how old I am I have only seen seventeen winters and after my parents died have no family to call my own."

Nodding to the boy the King said, "And fine professions they are for the good folk of the north, you have nothing to be ashamed of my boy. You save my life and I intend to reward you. You have become quite famous Bael "Spearborn", not only for Killing Magnar Sigunr Tide but also in saving me. The man you killed was responsible for this whole war and single handedly destroying all but one of the only loyal Skagosi house. The sole survivor of House Stane, Maganara Lyra Stane stand right here.

Turning to look at the rather beautiful young woman, Bael couldn't stop himself from staring at the red haired, green eyed beauty before him. And if he couldn't help notice that she stared at him with much interest as well, along with a rather bright blush.

Hearing the King grunting, the young Free Folk warrior quickly looked to his king who he found smiling. "You two are about the same age. I intend to name Maganara Lyra her Warden of the Shivering Sea and Skagos and she has agreed to one condition of this. She has stated that she would be honored to take the man who avenged her father and brothers as her husband and allow her children to carry his name. Congratulations lad, you are now Magnar Bael."

To say the young man was surprised was an understatement. His shocked sputtering made both the King and Maganara laugh, which made the young man realize how lovely he found her laughter.

"This is how I reward those who serve me well. As long as they uphold the King's Law and protect the North your descendant shall rule Skagos in the name of my house. Now rise Maganar Bael, you and your future wife have much to talk about."

Staring at the woman who would be his wife, Bael found that, honestly, while becoming a Magnar would be amazing, she was what really enticed him to accept the king's offer. And from the look she was giving him, he was guessing she didn't have much to complain about either And so rose a new house, House Spearborn of Spearhold, Lords paramount of Skagos and Shields of the Shivering Sea. Their banner was a black spear on green and their words will "Faithful We Will Stay." To replace the other skagosi houses that were destroyed, two new houses sworn to house Spearborn were born, the Houses Wave of Tide Hall and Horn of Shivering Port.

Shivering Port would become an important trade hub between Hardhome,Karhold, and Bravoos. While House Spearborn would become some of the Starks' most loyal bannermen with the Umbers, Reeds, and Mormont, their warriors well known for their bravery and zeal.

As the Skagosi rebellion was ended and Skagos was brought closer to the North as a whole all looked well for the North. But the time was soon coming when the lands of Westeros would hear the flapping of Dragon wings, and life as the people of Westeros knew it was coming to an end.

And so the North Rose.


	5. The Doom and the Pact

**Hello everyone Shadowwolf1997 is back with a new chapter for y'all and I hope you like it. It details the doom and what y'all have been waiting for. Here is a small spoiler because I'm cruel, the North and Dorne will stay Independent, but not quite hostile to the Iron Throne. Disclaimer: I do not own a Song of Ice and Fire and write this only because I have the freedom to.**

 _The Doom and the Pact_

 _The Doom and the Surviving Dragonlords_

For several centuries the North and Valyria had been trading partners, thought the North had closer ties with Braavos the the Dragonlords. In fact the Valyrians with the best relations with the First Men were the Targaryens of Dragonstone, who had kept amiable relations with the strongest power of the West from their island fortress. Within the Runelodge of White Harbor, the Druids had the largest collection of Valyrian magic and lore outside the Valyrian Peninsula, and was not uncommon to see one or two of the Dragonlords visiting the city. Most were lesser sons and daughters looking to see the world, often visiting what many regarded as the second greatest power in the World, surpassed only by Valyria itself. But this would all change with the coming of the Doom.

In the City of Valyria, the beating heart of the World, the day started out like any other, the wing beats of dragons filling the air as the people of the great city went about their daily life. The black towers shining in the sun.

It started with a low rumble, a common enough occurrence with fourteen volcanoes so close by. But the tremor only grew and grew. It felt as if the Earth was ripping apart, and finally, all at once, the Fourteen Flames erupted blocking the sun in vast clouds of ash and tearing the Earth asunder. The land heaved and cracked, great gorges forming where there was once fields and cities. The Great Towers of Valyria toppled and collapsed, fireballs rained down upon the city. Molten rock destroyed all in its path, knocking dragons and their rides from the sky. The land collapsed into the waiting sea. Buildings, people, and dragons sent tumbling into its merciless waters. Most of Valyria, the great city of the Dragonlords, was lost to the sea in less than a day, and with it almost every dragon and dragon rider.

The only Dragon riders to survive were the Targaryens of Dragonstone, the Bealons who ruled from Pentos, and the Voltareses of Volantis. The riders enjoying their time in Lys were all later killed, along with their dragons.

House Voltares, their symbol of an orange Dragon on a blue field would rule the south from Volantis, eventually bringing Lys, Myr and Tyrosh under their command while the two headed yellow dragon on a white background would control Norvos, Lorath, and Qohor from Pentos. In time this would bring conflict to the newly created North Cities and South Cities, but those are stories for another time.

On Dragonstone however lay the Targaryens with their Dragons, and the second sons and daughters of lesser Valyrian families, totaling for a total of ten additional dragonriders, all loyal to the Targaryens, but nowhere near the strength of the mainland survivors which had as many as four dozen dragon riders each.

With the destruction of Valyria and the dividing of her daughters by the two strongest surviving houses of Dragonlords, the Targaryens looked to the West, and they began to see something no one had seen before. A land ripe to conquer, with the right force.

 _Dragon seeks help from the Wolf and the Sun_

Under the reign of Lord Aerion Targaryen, the Targaryens began laying their plans for the conquest of Central Westeros. Early on the Lord of Dragonstone realized his family and vassals lacked the power to ever make the North kneel and that Dorne was too staunch an ally for the Northmen not to come to their aid. At the same time he realized that both the North and Dorne could care less about the lands in between them and could perhaps even be persuaded to help his family conquer them. To this end he sent a message to Winterfell and Dorne inviting the Starks and Martells to Dragonstone in hopes of forging an alliance.

When a raven came bearing a letter from the then Queen Lyanna III saying she and Princess Meria would agree to this meeting, but that it would be held at Winterfell. The letter stated that the Targaryens could bring their dragons with them and that Lord Aerion should bring his children with him. If any other House had suggested this the lord of Dragonstone would have suspected treachery, but as it came from the Starks whose reputation and high regard for the guest right was well known, he felt the request was genuine

And so in the year 14 BC, the Targaryens arrived in White Harbor, before traveling to the capital of the Kingdom of the Winterlands and the Isles, Wintercity, the beating heart of the north.

A boy of only thirteen at the time, the young Argon who describe his first time seeing the fabled city of the North in his memories near the end of his life, _Tales of the Dragon King_.

"I had never seen an actual city before that point, my life spent on Dragonstone. Wintercity was everything the stories had made it out to be. It was a beautiful city of stone, wood, mist, and smoke smelling of freshly burning pine and oak. The people of the north were as different from the people of Dragonstone as I could have imagined. And then there were the Giants, the Children, and the Wargs. I lost count of how many times I saw men and giants talking and conversing with each other, some old friends, others working together. I had been taught the rudimentary basics of the Old Tongue, so here and there I was able to discern what was being discussed. Most was the kind of talk you would here friends use with each other. The children and wargs walked around the city as if they were ordinary people, going about their business and seeming to enjoy themselves as anyone else could speaking with friends."

"Everywhere I turned I saw the men and women of the Ice guard carrying out their duties with all the vigilance and responsibility their position required. And overhead I saw them, the Gryphon Riders atop their mighty beasts. Ever since I could remember I had longed to see the only other beast in this world that could fly while carrying a man on its back. Even Vaghar was larger than the most titanic Gryphon, a fool could see the deadly ability that laid within those proud creatures.

And then I saw the ancient fortress of Winterfell. Its three wall seeming to dare any to come a try to break them. Between the first and second walls was a deep moat with a drawbridge that we crossed over. Beyond the Second wall was a flat area with no cover, making a man an easy target for the archers and scorpions that lined the wall. And past the third wall was a great courtyard that opened up to the castle proper. Inside the wall was magnificent. I remember reading the journals of my ancestor Ayex Targaryen and decided that his description of the Starks home was quite accurate."

Lord Aerion led his wife and three children into the courtyard of Winterfell, the dragons Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes landing behind their masters.

Meeting them was the Queen of Winter and Iron and the Princess of the Desert, Queen Lyanna Stark III and Princess Meria Nymeros Martell. While the Yellow Toad of Dorne looked ready to die at any second in the opinion of the Targaryen Children, the Northern Queen looked not much better, having only recently recovered from a strong sickness that had claimed the life of her husband Jonelle Bolton. Lord Aerion and his family bowed to the two monarch of the North and South.

"I welcome the members of House Targaryen to Winterfell. A great feast has been prepared for you and our Dornish guests later this evening." Queen Lyanna spoke in thickly accented Andal, which thankfully the Valyrians could understand.

Looking to the two monarch Lord Aerion bowed again before speaking, "Queen Lyanna, Princess Meria, me and my wife would like to speak to you in private if that is alright. If it is not too much trouble my Queen would you mind allowing my children to explore your home I promise nothing shall be destroyed or damaged."

Looking at the three Targaryen sibling the Queen nodded before saying, "I see no harm in it, allow your children to entertain themselves and explore to their hearts content."

Squealing with excitement the youngest Rhaenys ran off, followed closely by Aegon. The oldest Visenya decided to go exploring by herself. The oldest of the Targaryens couldn't help but stare at the massive fortress that easily dwarfed Dragonstone. All around her she saw The Wolf Fang Guard patrolling the castle, with the Beastmen and their animal companions seen every so often. Lumbering Giants also dotted Winterfell, some in the armor of the Wolf Fang Guard, others the guards of the giant lords. And over head she saw the North's Gryphon riders flying atop their mounts, the creatures were majestic and a wonder to behold, but Visenya silently thought they were not as great as a dragon. Her own dragon Vhagar was being tended to by the servants her had brought with them. She was about to head over to her dragon when she caught site of a different area of the castle.

An ancient gate the only opening in a stone wall, and beyond it a vast wooded area. Visenya knew that this must be the Godswood of Winterfell, the ancient grove that the castle had been built around, its woods untouched since before the First Men had arrived to Westeros. Curiosity overwhelmed her, and the young Valyrian entered the primordial forest. The very air of the Godswood, Visenya decided, made her feel as if she was not alone. She had the feeling that she was being watched, not hostilely, but rather as if something was merely observing her. She then felt the presence leave, as if satisfied that she was not a threat, and finally she felt the peace and tranquility of the place open up to her.

As she ventured deeper within the Godswood, Visenya heard something. The sound of metal hitting wood. Following the noise, she found her way to the center of the Godswood, with the ancient Heart Tree of Winterfell, its solemn face overlooking the cool pool of water. Under its gaze were men, their ages hard to tell due to the bone white masks with red tears, signifying their status as members of the Harbingers, the First Men equivalent of knights, but who served as a form of heavy infantry rather than cavalry. Both wielder a shield and iron hammer and were dueling with each other. Visenya watched the duel with rapt attention, her own training as a warrior allowing her to admire their skill.

Finally the taller one managed to knock down the other Harbinger, bringing his foot down on his opponent's shield arm and trapping him there. The two spoke in the Old Tongue, so Visenya was unable to understand most of what they said, but it was clear that the one on the ground had yielded. Laughing the victor helped his downed opponent and pulled him to his feet. The two took off their helms to reveal the smiling faces of two youths, one sixteen, the other eighteen if she had to guess. They had brown hair and long faces, with cat like grey eyes. The identity of the two warriors was now revealed to Visenya. It was the Crown Prince Torrhen Stark and his bastard brother Brandon Snow, both laughing and now wrestling with each other as the Prince put his younger brother in a headlock.

Before she could make a move either to leave or reveal herself, Visenya heard the snapping of branches behind her, and turned to stare into the orange eyes of a full grown direwolf, its brown pelt blending well with the Godswood. By its side was another full grown direwolf, this one an albino with red eyes.

Screaming in shock as she fell backwards, Visenya found she could she why the Starks had taken a direwolf as their sigil, the horse sized wolves looked as if they could rip a mammoth apart with easy, let alone a man. However the wolves weren't growling and were only staring at her with something akin to curiosity.

Before anything else could happen, a voice rang out through the Godswood. The Stark Prince appeared between her and the wolf, placing his hands on the beast as he spoke in a soothing tone, his brother doing the same with the other wolf.

Turning to regard the woman who had wandered into the Godswood, Prince Torrhen was momentarily shocked. On the ground, dressed in a combination of mail and leather, shining platinum gold hair that reached her shoulders and decorated with a few leaves from her fall. Where eyes were a stunning lilac color. And her body was already one many a woman would like to have. But her face looked as if it had been carved by the children themselves, there was a stern beauty in her face that for a moment had ensnared the young warrior.

Blinking back to reality and offering his hand to the downed woman he spoke with a thick northern accent, "Apologies my magnara, Forest and Wraith meant you no harm, they were probably just curious about you. It's quite easy to see that you mean no harm here."

Looking more closely at the Crown Prince of the Winterlands and the Isles, Visenya found she could only nod as she studied the young man before her. He was already as tall as her father and beneath his leathers, Visenya could see his thick muscles. His long face and cat like gray eyes mesmerizing her, a bringing a slight blush to her face.

As Prince Torrhen was pulling her up, her foot got caught in a root and caused Visenya to trip… right into the prince's chest. Her face now truly red she looked up at the head and a half taller Northmen, only to find his face red as hers as when she had tripped into him, her chest had pressed against his.

Hearing a coughing sound the two turned to look at Torrhen's brother, who was trying to keep a straight face despite the obvious fact he was trying not to laugh.

"Well not that this isn't nice and all but I believe introductions are in order my magnara. I am Brandon Snow, half brother of the mute currently holding your hand, Crown Prince Torrhen Stark. Many I ask who you are and why are you here?"

Before either could respond they both realized one thing Brandon had said, they were indeed still holding hands. The Prince of Winter and Iron dropped Visenya's hand like it was a hot stone.

"I am Visenya Targaryen, my father is meeting with your mother and the Princess of Dorne to work out some kind of agreement. Your mother gave me and my siblings permission to wander your castle and I was curious about the Godswood so I entered. I meant no harm or trespass by it."

Hearing a somewhat urgent tone in her voice, Torrhen decided to speak, "You did nothing wrong Magnara Godswood is open to all, we were just surprised anyone would be here at this time."

Looking relieved that she hadn't offended the rulers of the North, Visenya was about to reply when the earth gave a small tremor and a loud booming voice spoke in the Old Tongue. Turning the three youths saw a large giant dressed in the armor of the Ice Swords. Smiling Prince Torrhen turned to Visenya and threw out his hand to the Giant, "Magnara Visenya allow me to introduce the Captain of the Ice Sword and Wolf Fang Guard, Wun Cramon, a more loyal giant and guard you may never find." Turning to the Giant Torrhen then introduced Visenya, speaking in the Old Tongue.

Turning his head to the Targaryen, the Giant nodded his head before speaking again. Nodding to the Giant the Prince turned to Visenya and offered her his arm. "Wun has just said that a feast will begin in an hour or two and that we are to report to our chambers to get ready. He also says it's fortunate that you were here because your family is looking for you. If the lady does not mind, I would be more than happy to escort her to the the guest chambers."

Staring at the outstretched arm for a moment and feeling the blush return to her face, a smile graced Visenya's face as she took the Heir to the North's arm, looping her own around it before replying, "I would like that my Prince."

That night in the Great Hall, Magnars of the North and a few Lords of Dorne danced and feasted with the Targaryen retainers. Queen Lyanna Stark however was not paying much attention to the festivities however. While she absentmindedly scratched the ears of her direwolf Oak, her gaze was turned to her normally grim son Torrhen smile, actually smile, as he danced with young Visenya Targaryen. Usually only herself, his brother, and his closest friends were the only ones able to do that. It felt like a sign from the gods that she had made the right choice.

The voice of her old mentor and colleague rang beside her, "My my, it seems your dear wolf has taken quite a liking to the young she dragon. And if that blush on the young lady's face is any indicator the feeling is mutual." Meria Martell spoke with a rather playful tone. "So are you told them yet or are they planning on just wanting to give you grandchildren."

Turning to smirk at her old mentor from her time of being fostered in Sunspear the Wolf Queen spoke, "To answer the first no I have not told them, me and lord Aerion will announce it later tonight. As for the second, well is it so wrong for a woman to want little grandchildren to spoil to her heart's content."

"I guess not. After all, who am I to teach another on chastity, I was certainly no practitioner in my youth, but then neither were you my dear little she wolf." At this the Queen threw her head back and laughed.

Aerion Targaryen couldn't believe what he saw as his eldest daughter was happily dancing and speaking with the Prince of Winterfell. It seemed as if fortune truly was on his side. The meeting with the Queen and Princess had gone better than he could have hoped for. It would cost him all four of his children, his bastard son Orys had decided to stay at Dragonstone to avoid offending the Starks and Martells. Aerion briefly smiled at the thought of his second son, a smart, dutiful lad who admired his older brother.

Quickly returning his thoughts to the meeting, Aerion smiled. In return for agreeing to leave the Winterland and Dorne unscathed, and having Visenya and Aegon fostered at Winterfell, and Rhaenys and Orys at Sunspear, he would receive funding and soldiers for his family's campaign. He would also have to give his oldest daughter Visenya as a bride to the young prince Torrhen and surrender the Marches of the Reach and the Stormlands to Dorne. While the second understandable, he had been a bit confused by the first, before Queen Lyanna explained it would be the best way to seal an Alliance, her oldest marrying his oldest. Already the lad was showing promise. A shrewd and cunning lad, he was one of the youngest, along with his bastard brother, to become a full fledged Harbinger of the Gods of the Forest. He was smart and ruthless when needed, and capable of generosity and gratitude, important traits for a ruler to wield effectively.

All three leaders had agreed now was not the right time to strike. Aerion could wait though, even if it fell to Aegon to complete the conquest, the future of his family was secure. He had at first been unsure of giving Visenya to the Starks, having always planned for his daughters to marry his son. But seeing his normally stoic and solemn daughter smiling and blushing like a maiden on her wedding day as she danced with Prince Torrhen Stark. Seeing her happy helped in come to terms with the matter, but he couldn't but wonder if that would change when he told her after the feast.

Torrhen found himself staring at his mother in her solar. She had just told him about the deal struck between houses Stark, Martell, and Targaryen. He had stopped listening after he had heard the words, "you will marry Visenya Targaryen," and his face adopted the expression of one hit by a hammer.

He noticed his mother smiling as she spoke, "Surely you don't find this a great burden on your part Torrhen, I say how you and the young She Dragon behaved around each other. While it may just be physical attraction or infatuation, such feeling aren't bad when first marrying, in fact it's a good start to building up a solid marriage."

"Speaking from experience mother." Torrhen couldn't help but quip, for in her younger days Queen Lyanna hadn't exactly been the model of chastity and temperance when it came to the ways of pleasure. In fact she had lain with his father, Harras Frostfang ten times before agreeing to marrying him. In her defence, she had stayed faithful to his father, only conceiving Brandon after his father died in a the latest in a series of failed invasions from the Vale, taking a lance meant for his mother and dying in her arms. Queen Lyanna had mourned the loss for a year before she sought comfort in the arms of the Ice Sword, Harbinger Jeor, who died protecting her when she led an attack the lair of a gang of bandits and thieves. To his knowledge that was the last time she took a lover, instead devoting her time to raising him and his brother and ruling the Winterlands and the Isles, doing everything she could to efficiently run her kingdom, while trying to raise two boys whose fathers had died protecting her.

Instead of taking offense to the remark and getting angry, his mother merely laughed before adopting an impish smirk, "Well it certainly doesn't hurt, as your father proved. Why the things that man would do…"

"I'm have to stop you there mother, please I don't want to hear how it took father ten times to convince you to marry him or what occurred during those proposals." Torrhen interrupted his mother, as she knew he would, with a face one usually reserved for situations of extreme discomfort.

Laughing again, the Queen of Winter and Iron adopted a serious expression. "All jesting aside, you could do much worse and the two of you seem fond of each other after a short time. That is a good start for any relationship. Besides if this venture succeeds, we will never have to worry about another damned Andal invasion."

Torrhen knew at this his mother was thinking about his father, most of her lovers had been only one night affairs, forgotten with the rising sun. And while she had cared for Harbinger Jeor, the only man his mother had ever truly loved had been his father. Many older members of the Winterfell household said that after the death of Magnar Harras, the flirtatious and somewhat self-centered Lyanna had changed into a more reserved and careful person. That along with the births of him and his brother had greatly changed her into the Queen she was today.

Nodding to his mother Torrhen spoke, "Don't worry mother, I will do as is expected of me."

Meanwhile in the Targaryen's apartment, Visenya's face had gone the color of scarlet when she heard she was to marry the Stark Prince, while Aegon displayed excitement in getting to stay at a place other than Winterfell.

"Father while I don't disagree a marriage to the Starks will benefit our family, why do my and Aegon have to stay here." Visenya questioned, feeling like she in particular was being cast out of the family.

"For Aegon it's so he can get some life experience beyond Dragonstone, and as for you it serves two purposes. One so that you get to better know your future husband and the second is so that you can become familiar with the land you will one day become Queen of. And Vhagar will stay with you so it's not all bad my dear and besides, you seemed quite fond of young Torrhen tonight at the feast." This brought a bright blush to the young woman's face.

Kneeling before his daughter and taking her hand, Aerion smiled as he spoke, "I know that you are scared and nervous. That is natural, but the Starks are an honorable family and will treat you as if you are already one of their own. Remember that the greatest strength of a wolf is the pack, and once you become part of their pack, the Starks will never treat you poorly."

Nodding to her father Visenya looked to her little brother who looked excited by the idea of staying in Winterfell for a few years, "Well looks like you might be able to ride a Gryphon after all little brother."

"Before we depart Visenya I have a gift for you." Aerion turned to a chest and pulled out a long wrapped package. He then handed it to Visenya, who quickly unwrapped it to find that it was a sword, and a familiar one at that. "Father this is…"

"Yes this is Dark Sister, this is my gift to you daughter, and with it a father's love. Never forget that you are the blood of Valyria, and while your sons or daughters will rule as kings and queens, and in their blood will flow the blood of the First Men of Westeros, they will also posses the blood of the Dragon."

With tears in her eyes Visenya hugged her father, "Thank you father I love you." Smiling as he returned his daughter's hug, "And I you, my little dragon."

When the Targaryen and Dornish parties left, Visenya and Aegon began their fostering with the Starks. Taking their lessons with the High Druid, and training in the courtyard with the Master of Arms Beron Cassel. During these matches Torrhen and Visenya would often duel each other, their duels often getting particularly vicious on occasion. Brandon would tease them constantly that that was their way of relieving sexual tension, only to later flee with a laughing Aegon from his brother and his betrothed who were hot on their tails.

During his stay, Aegon came to view Torrhen and Brandon as the older brothers he never had. Becoming close with both of them. They in turn taught him how to fight with hammers and spears and helped him to vastly improve his swordsmanship.

During these years, anyone with eyes could see the growing bond between Torrhen and Visenya. When Visenya turned sixteen, they kissed for the first time in the Godswood where they had met, Torrhen's Direwolf Forest keeping an eye out for her master and his love. As the years passed and they continued to grow closer, both found it harder to keep their hands off each other, especially Torrhen as Visenya's body developed into that of a voluptuous beauty. The shyness she had once had toward Torrhen had faded to teasing flirtations, that often ended with the two of them found kissing each other breathless in some empty section of Winterfell. Finally when Visenya turned seventeen, it was announced that within two months, the two would be married.

 _Marriage of the Dragon and Wolf_

Opening her lilac eyes. Visenya Targaryen grumbled at the damn sun that had woken her from her amazing dream. Burrowing herself deeper into her bed of sheets and furs, and trying to back to her dream, where she and her Torrhen were married and with a family. She was awoken again by the door to her chamber slamming open, the offenders being her sister Rhanerys and their old friend, another Valyrian Dragonrider whose family had escaped the doom and sworn fealty to House Targaryen, Danea Syraean, as well as the Meera, the Northern maid who had served Visenya the three years she had lived in Winterfell, and her best friend.

"Visenya what are you doing?" Rhaenys all but shouted. "Trying to sleep dear sister, now if you all will go away so I can accomplish that." Visenya growled out.

A wicked grin appeared across Meera's lips as she spoke, "Well I'm sure Prince Torrhen will understand. It is only your wedding day after all." The sentence had it's desired effect, causing the oldest of the Targaryen siblings to leap out of the bed as she remembered that today was indeed her long awaited wedding day.

Seeing that Visenya was now indeed awake, Meera let out a whistle, and the young woman was descended on by a horde of Northern and Targaryen servants who worked frantically to prepare her. After being almost literally throne in a bath filled with honey and lavender scented oils, Visenya was placed in front of a giant mirror as the maids went to work preparing her. As she had maintained a shoulder length hair cut on the account that Torrhen had once said it suited her better, she was given no fancy hair style, but was dressed in a black and gray wedding dress. A circlet of iron and amber was place upon her head. And at her side was Dark Sister, a weapon perfectly acceptable in a Northern wedding.

"The Prince is a lucky man dear sister, you look absolutely stunning." Rhaenys said as she leaned in on her sister, Danea laughing as she said, "It will be a miracle if he doesn't take you there in the Godswood."

This caused Visenya to laugh, "Believe me if he's held out this long, he'll hold out until tonight, my wolf is just too honorable a man to take me before."

Visenya admired herself in the mirror. Today was the day she had been dreaming of for so long, she just couldn't wait.

Meanwhile in the Godswood, dressed in his finest mail and leathers, his warhammer by his side, a nervous Torrhen Stark stood before the Heart Tree, where he had first laid eyes on Visenya three years ago, an amused Brandon and Aegon with Orys also trying not to laugh.

"Look at that, unafraid to challenge a Giant to single combat, he's petrified at the idea of marriage." Aegon said laughing. "Aye, you might even say he's about to wet himself." Brandon continued.

"I hate all of you so very much." Torrhen growled before his mother approached him, placing a crown of iron and bronze, but lacking the blades, runes, and amber settings of the actual crown of Winter.

"The day has finally come, my little Torrhen is getting married." There were tears in the Queen'e eyes. Torrhen embraced his mother, as he comforted her, "It's all right mother, I will always be your little Torrhen even as your grandchildren swarm around Winterfell." This brought laughter to the Queen's face as she gave Torrhen a cloak, "This was the wedding cloak your grandmother was given when she was made queen of the North, it will look stunning on Visenya.

Smiling as the guest were all taking their places in the Godswood, Prince Torrhen stood in front of the Heart Tree, High Greenseer Wind Eye standing there ready to bless the marriage. Three years of waiting, three years of excruciating abstinence from the goddess made flesh that was about to become his wife was over.

Finally, at the gates of the Godswood, guided by her father, came the love of his live. Visenya looked as if she had emerged from a dream, the black and red cloak floating behind her. As her father handed her to him, the two looped their arms together, both smiling as they stared at each other with love and admiration. There in the Sight of the Gods of the Forest, with Torrhen placing the gray direwolf cloak on his Visenya, Visenya Targaryen and Crown Prince Torrhen Stark were married in the Godswood of Winterfell in the year 11 BC, with Visenya becoming Princess Visenya Stark. And with the loving kiss that passed between the two, the first pact of Fire and Ice was sealed.

That night after the celebration feast, Torrhen slung Visenya of his shoulder and carried her, both of them laughing the entire way, to his chambers. His Direwolf Forest sleeping right outside the door. Upon entering he threw his wife down on top of his bed of sheets and furs.

In a frenzy of hands and discarded clothes, the Wolf Prince and Dragon Princess were rendered bare of any clothes. That night, three years of patience and longing was ended with hours of pleasure. Moans, grunts, the names Visenya and Torrhen filled the room as the marriage was consummated. That night, both Torrhen and Visenya would fall asleep in each other's arms under a layer of sheets and furs, both completely content.

 **Did you think I would include the conquest with this one, well that's for next time later y'all.**


	6. Drums of War Thunder Once Again

**Hey everyone Shadowwolf1997 is back with a new chapter to Empire of Winter. I hope yall like the surprises I have in store for ya. I do not own a Song of Ice and Fire, that goes to George R.R. Martin**

 _North: Old Tongue when Andals are around_

North: Old Tongue most of the Time, Andal

 **North: Valyrian**

 _Drums of War_

 _Children of the Wolf and the Dragon_

Within the vast halls of Winterfell, Brandon Snow groggily woke up, relaxed in his room. The young man had never once begrudged his life as the bastard son of the Queen of Winter and Iron and was quite pleased with his lot. As the young Harbinger sat up, a soft sigh coming from the other side caused him to glance at his longtime friend and now happily married wife Meera. The two had grown up together in Winterfell, he the bastard of the Queen Lyanna III and a Ice Sword, and she the daughter of a milkmaid and a member of the Wolf Fang Guard hailing from the he wasn't busy helping his brother, Crown Prince Torrhen Stark, and she herself not busy being the handmaiden of his brother's wife Visenya Targaryen, the two would often be found in each other's company.

Even now a smile came to his face as he remembered their first dance, during Torrhen and Visenya's Wedding, she had found him standing by himself in a corner grabbed his hand and said "I have been waiting all night for you to ask me to dance. I am out of patience, now come here."

With that she pulled him out onto the dance floor and the two spent the rest of the night either dancing or being right by the other's side. A few months later they were married before the Heart Tree in Winterfell. If there was one thing Brandon liked about being a bastard it was that he was free to love and marry whoever he wanted to.

Glancing at her growing belly, a sign that his own little family was about to get bigger, he smiled at the thought of being a father. His own father had died protecting his mother before he had even been a year old, and the only other man his mother had married or been with since then had been Jonnelle Bolton, who she had married for political reasons and who died not even a month into the marriage due to a sickness.

Placing his hand on Meera's belly Brandon's thoughts shifted to his brother and his wife. Almost a year and a half had passed since Visenya Targaryen had become Visenya Stark, and he had never seen his brother happier than when he was with his Valyrian wife. The two were hardly seen apart, often found either sparring with Brandon and Aegon in the courtyard, helping sort out disputes between and among the Mountain Clans and Free Folk Tribes, or together in the Godswood where Brandon had once found the two using it for… less than spiritual purposes. Brandon was convinced that was the day that the twins his good sister was now close to giving birth to were conceived, in the eyes of the gods. And when asked, neither of the parents denied it, both smiling with mischief.

He was disturbed from his thoughts as Meera groaned and opened her green eyes, glancing around with a dazed and still groggy expression before her gaze landed on him and a tired smile graced her features. "Good Morning my love, what has awoken my husband so early today." she spoke with her song like voice that he so loved.

Being the daughter of a crannogman, she was barely over five feet tall and was tiny compared to his six feet and three inches.

"Good morning to you too, and maybe I woke up early to gaze upon the great beauty who shares my bed with me every night." He said as he laid back down and pulled her towards him, smiling as she nestled into his chest and laid her head just below his neck, her reddish brown hair all over.

"Flattery will get you everywhere Harbinger Brandon Snow, especially once our child is born." A sultry tone had entered her voice and he found himself all the more eager for their child to be born, even if they may soon be followed by a second.

Just as the two were about to go back to sleep a banging at the door jolted them from the world of sleep.

"Harbinger Brandon I have news," one of the servants spoke through the door, "the Princess has gone into labor, the Queen and Lady Valaena have already been informed and the Prince has asked you to be there and the Princess had specifically asked for Meera to be present as well."

Whatever irritation the young couple had was swept away at the news and both got out of their bed as quickly as they could and dressed.

Once they were dressed Brandon and Meera quickly made their way to Torrhen and Visenya's chambers. Outside they found Aegon pacing back and forth, he looked up to see them. "Brandon, Meera you're here thank the gods." Nodding to the Dragonlord Brandon stepped aside as his wife brushed past him and into the room. The next moment a painful scream erupted from the room and caused Aegon to flinch.

Turning to his friend Brandon spoke, "Don't worry, she'll be fine Visenya is made of iron and steel, she'll make it through this and be back in the courtyard kicking your sorry ass up and down it."

Aegon smiled and finally took a seat, chairs having been set outside the room. As another scream emanated from the room Brandon once again spoke, "I don't know how long we'll be here my friend but just pray that the gods are merciful and that our nieces or nephews don't take to long to be brought into this world."

Within the chamber and on a large bed cover in sheets and furs, Visenya Stark nee Targaryen let out another scream as she pushed again, her little wolf dragon not coming into this world easily, and the room was filled with the sound of breaking bones. To his credit, Prince Torrhen Stark didn't even flinch or grit his teeth as his wife crushed his left hand, his pain was nothing compared to the agony his Visenya was enduring.

Gently holding her right hand was her mother Valaena Velaryon, who had been at Winterfell for the past two months, wanting to be present to she the birth of her grandchildren. Meera was dabbing a damp cloth on Visenya's forehead and speaking words of encouragement to her friend.

And at the base of the bed, Queen Lyanna Stark, Third of Her Name, Guardian of the Winterlands and the Isles, Protector of the Gods of the Forest, Magnara of Winterfell, and Queen of the First Men, the Giants, and the Children of the Forest, was aiding Druid Magorn in delivering the children, she too wanting to be present for the birth of her first grandchildren.

Crying out as she pushed again, Visenya looked towards her mother, "Mother is it almost over. Please just let this end already."

Cooing gently as she stroke her daughter's hair, the elder Targaryen spoke, "Soon enough my dear, just hang in there a little longer. It won't be easy, nor will it be pleasant, but your children need you to be strong if they hope to see this world. So do what I know you were made for and fight, endure and press onward. Your babes need you to endure for just a little longer sweetling."

The words of her mother giving her strength, Visenya clenched her husband's broken hand as she pushed again.

"Almost princess, one more and your firstborn will be out." Druid Magorn stated, having seen enough births to know when a baby was almost out of its mother's womb. With one final push, Visenya Stark cried out, and the sound of a baby wail echoed across the room.

Taking the babe and placing it in a gray swaddling cloth the Druid handed the crying babe to Queen Lyanna before starting, "A healthy young boy my princess, only one more child and you'll be done."

Hearing her baby's, her son's, cries gave Visenya a new surge of strength as she once again began to push. Within ten minutes of his brother, a second baby boy came into the world wailing at the top of his lungs. Handing the second babe to Meera. The druid stood up and smiled.

"Congratulations Your Highness, two healthy sons have been given to you this day."

Exhausted, sweat covering her face and wanting nothing more than to sleep, Visenya pushed herself up and spoke with a voice hoarse from screaming, "My sons, I want to see my sons." She half demanded half pleaded.

Smiling gently Queen Lyanna and Meera gave her the twins, both having settled down somewhat but still crying loudly.

The first had tufts of silver hair and Torrhen's long face, while the second had light brown hair and her heart shaped face. Their eyes were a dark cobalt, not grey or lilac but more of a blend between their parents eyes. Their eyes were slitted like a cat's, but their skin had none of the nut brown tint of the Children, too many generations had passed since the last time a Stark had married one of the Children.

Feeling her heart swell with love for these two little creatures who had only moments before caused her such pain, Visenya cried tears of joy, a rare sight for any who knew her, as she brought her sons to her face and kissed the crowns of their heads.

She felt an arm wrap around her shoulders and looked up into the proud eyes of her husband, the father of her children. Gently kissing her Torrhen finally spoke, "I am so proud of you my love. Look at our boys. The Gods have blessed us."

Smiling Visenya spoke, "I think I have decided on two names, how do you like Maesric for the elder and Braegon for our younger son."

Torrhen smiled at the names, combining both Valyrian names Maegor and Aegon with the Northern names Orsric and Brandon.

"I think they're perfect for our sons. The are the blood of the wolf and the dragon, it only makes sense that their names be as such."

Smiling Visenya handed her sons to her mother as she tiredly laid down a fell asleep, the birth having completely worn her out.

The next day the bells of Wintercity rung in joyous song as the city celebrated the birth of the new Stark Princes and the following weeks saw Winterfell filled with letters of Congratulation and gifts from the various Stark Bannermen as well as gifts from the Lord Aerion and his vassals on Dragonstone.

As this was going on, within Winterfell itself a feast was held to celebrate. Far from the noises of the Great Hall however, young Aegon, now seventeen smiled at his sleeping nephews as his good brother placed Braegon down in his crib alongside his brother.

As he followed Torrhen out the room, he turned to watch Forest, Torrhen's direwolf, lay herself protectively in front of the crib, daring any who was not a friend come within even a step of the twins.

As Aegon closely the door, his smile turned serious as he turned to his good brother, "Torrhen, thank you for the hospitality your family has shown me since me and my sister arrived. But now I feel I must take my leave of Winterfell and return with my mother to Dragonstone. My father's days grow shorter, and I must begin my plans for what is to come."

Nodding his head to his good-brother's words, Torrhen nodded and clasped his arm in a Northern handshake, "If you even need aid, call, and the North shall answer brother."

With that Aegon would depart Winterfell the following month, leaving with his mother to take charge of Dragonstone from his ailing father.

Five months after the births of Maesric and Braegon, Brandon and Meera's daughter Arya was born, a cute little babe with a long face and reddish brown hair and greenish gray eyes. Lyanna finally decide it was time to legitimize her beloved second son, having not done so before because he had like his life the way it was. But with the birth of her granddaughter, the Queen decided to give her second son the name Stark so his descendants wouldn't be abandoned. Knowing he wouldn't be able to change his mother's mind, and for the sake of Meera and Arya, Brandon accepted and became founder of a new house, House Snowstark, their banner a White Direwolf on a grey field and their words were, _We Bite Where Others Bark_ , and was made Magnar of the Wolffort, an old fortress that guarded the main gate of Wintercity that had recently been restored and refurbished. Given the Title Sentinel of the Gate and Guardian of the Wolfsroad, House Snowstark's mission would be to defend to main entrance to the capital of the Winterlands and patrol the royal highway, making sure that bandits did not plague trade routes or harass the people of the Winterlands.

Times were good for the people of the Winterlands and the Isles, but time moves on, and all things end.

 _One Moon sets and Another Rises_

Queen Lyanna was smiling as she bounced a four year old Arya on her knee, her little granddaughter laughing as the old Queen of Winter and Iron took time to play with her only granddaughter out of her four grandchildren. Arya's cousins, Maesric and Braegon were trying to get her little brother Beron to walk for longer periods of time, despite having only recently acquiring the skill. Always close by, her ever faith Ice Swords stood watch, smiling as their Queen passed the time playing with her grandchildren.

Many had started to worry about the health of the queen, she coughed often now, and began to tire easily from the simplest things. Where she had once performed executions herself as the old way dictated, her failing strength meant her sons and magnars had to start carrying out the Queen's justice in her name. Sometimes she even lacked the strength to leave bed, forcing Torrhen to rule in her stead.

Many were aware of their Queen's failing health, and none more so than Queen Lyanna herself. She knew her time was coming, sooner than she would have liked, but that it was coming nonetheless. Which is why she spent every moment she could with her dear grandchildren, their smiles and laughter probably one of the few things that gave her strength anymore.

Lyanna's attention was diverted from the laughing Arya by the sound of of the Throne room doors opening and in walked her two good daughters, Visenya and Meera. Lyanna had alway liked Meera, the young girl had worked in Winterfell all her live and had known Brandon for ages. And Visenya had quickly risen to be one of the old queen's closest friends. She could have not found better wives for her two beloved sons. Seeing their mothers, Maesric and Braegon ran over to therm, with little Beron wattling behind. Arya hopped down from Lyanna's knees and all but tackled Meera, almost knocking the small woman over as Beron latched onto her leg, giving a big smile. Visenya bent down and scooped up her twins, giving them both a big hug before turning to Lyanna.

"My Queen, ambassadors from Braavos and Volantis have arrived as well as from the King of Storms and Rivers."

Queen Lyanna playfully groaned before speaking, "Well I guess it's back to then, a Queen's work is never done. Be sure you remember this Visenya."

This got both her good-daughters laughing as they left the throne room, her grandchildren saying "Bye Grandma" as they were led away, or in little Beron's case " 'ye Gra'ma."

Smiling at her Grandchildren, the Queen of the Winterlands and the Isles turned to her Ice Swords, her face now in a frozen mask "Send them in."

Later that night, after a day of trade negotiations and listening the the Stormland ambassador complaining about how the Crannogmen still hold the twin fortresses known as the Twins in the South, but the Fangs in the North, Queen Lyanna returned to her chambers. To her surprise when she entered she found all four of her grandchildren playing in her chambers, or in Beron's case sleeping on her bed.

Unable to stop a smile from gracing her face, Lyanna bent down to be level with Maesric before speaking, "What are my little wolves doing her at such an hour."

Smiling as he spoke Maesric laughed, "We asked mama and papa if we could stay with you tonight, and Meera asked Aunty Meera and Uncle Brandon if she and Beron could be here too."

"Yeah," Braegon decided to pitch in, "we wanted to stay the night with grandma, she's always fun to play with."

Unable to control her laughter at this point, the elderly Queen gathered up all her still conscious grandchildren and told them old stories, stories from the Battle of the Dawn to the tales of their ancestors, of Bran the Builder, Bjoren the Magnificent Wolf, Theon the Hungry Wolf, Cregan the Venerable, Queen Lyanna I and her father Torrhen I, to which Maesric and Braegon laughed and say, "But papa's not your papa, he's our papa, you're his mama", of King Donnor Stark the Beast, and of King Beron III "The Andal Breaker," causing a now awake Beron to giggle, and of King Brandon "Steel Eyes" XII.

By the time she was finished, all her little pups had fallen asleep. Feeling sleep beginning to take her as well, the aging Queen slipped into bed alongside her beautiful grandchildren, little Beron nuzzling into her chest while asleep as he slightly drooled on her night gown.

With her youngest grandchild clutching her in his sleep and the others sharing the massive bed that the Queen had occupied alone since before they were born, Queen Lyanna Stark III fell asleep for the last time, a genuine happy smile upon her face as she was surrounded by her grandchildren, her last thought being how she could not imagine a better way to pass from this world. In the Year 6 BC, Queen Lyanna Stark III died in bed, surrounded by her grandchildren.

A two months later, Queen Lyanna Stark, Third of Her Name, Guardian of the Winterlands and the Isles, Protector of the Gods of the Forest, Magnara of Winterfell, and Queen of the First Men, the Giants, and The Children of the Forest was lain to rest within the crypt of Winterfell, along with the other Kings and Queens of the Stark line. And above in the Godswood of Winterfell, surrounded by the Magnars and Magnaras of the North, the Princess of Dorne, and the Targaryens and their vassals, Torrhen Stark knelt before the Heart Tree and High Greenseer Wind Eye as the Crown of Winter and Iron, its nine iron spikes adorned with runes and bronze engraved with three shards of amber, was crowned.

Standing up to his full height of 6'6 and turning to face the crowd, the High Greenseer spoke in the Old Tongue, " _All hail King Torrhen Stark, Second of His Name, Guardian of the Winterlands and the Isles, Magnar of Winterfell, and King of the First Men, the Giants, and the Children of the Forest. LONG LIVE THE KING!"_

" _LONG LIVE THE KING_ ," the cry being taken up the Magnars and Magnaras as the Targaryens and Dornish shouted the same in the Andal Tongue.

The She Wolf had died, and in her place rose the Stalwart Wolf.

 _The Conquest Begins_

In the year 2 BC

In on the isle of Dragonstone, Dragon lord Aegon awoke in his large bed, on either side were his two beautiful wives. One was his sister wife Rhaenys, the other was a long time friend and another dragonrider Danea Syrean, now Targaryen. Last night had been a pleasurable night for all three of them, they had made love on the eve of the great conquest Aegon's father had envisioned and now Aegon would carry it out. With the support of the Starks and Martells, he would conquer the central portion of Westeros. House Targaryen would claim a domain to help but them on more equal standing with the eastern dragonlords.

He was brought from his toughts by Danea turning and wrapping herself around him, while Rhaenys cuddled under his arm and laid her head on his shoulder.

"It begins today my loves, before the year is out I will be King and you two the Queens of the Five Kingdoms."

Smiling as she started to kiss his cheek and neck Danea spoke, "Queen Danea and Queen Rhaenys, sounds nice doesn't it sister."

Smirking as she too began to kiss their shared husband Rhaenys decided to play along with her childhood friend who was her sister in all but blood, Rhaenys spoke, "So it does Danea, but I think you mean Queen Rhaenys and Queen Danea."

As the two shared a laugh, they both yelped as Aegon lifted them both up and pinned them under him. Smirking as he looked upon his two wives Aegon wasted no time on talk. For the rest of the early morning, no more talk was heard in the room, only sounds of pleasure.

Later in the Stone Drum in the Chamber of the Painted Table, Aegon and his wives, his half brother Orys, and the Dragonlords loyal to House Targaryen stood around the table itself.

"Here is where I suggest we land Your Grace at Duskendale." The oldest of the Dragonlords present and Aegon's main strategist spoke, Baelor Mexaryes was an old man of sixty and seven years, but was built like a bear. Around the table the other Dragonlords sworn to House Targaryen, Myr Rhaegares of House Rhaegares, Ajax Quotlos of House Quotlos, Baelon Syrean, Danea's brother, Lysera of House Lyseris the original founders of Lys, Maegar Cromex of House Cromex, Viserys and Aerys of House Velyax, Seran of House Mearax, and finally Gaemon of House Danarys .

At the head of the Painted Table, with his two wives by his side stood Aegon Targaryen surveyed the map, besides lines just south of the Fangs and North of the Dornish Marches, there were no borders, showing central Westeros as one land.

"The area around the mouth of the Blackwater Rush would be the most ideal setting for our intial invasion, after which we can slowly subjugate the surrounding lords and lands. Once we've gained our foothold, we send word to the Starks and Martells, the will keep the Durradons of Durranshall and Storm's End busy while Lord Orys assists in taking out the Storm King. Once the Riverlands and Stormlands are ours, I say we take our forces and divide them. You and your good brother King Torrhen should attack the Lannisters and I, Orys, and the Prince Nymor Martell will strike the Gardeners, and I believe your sister Queen Visenya will lead the attack on the Vale."

Listening to the plan the newly crowned King Aegon First of His Name, King of the Five Kingdoms stood up and spoke to the maester of Dragonstone, "Maester Jonos send ravens to Winterfell and Sunspear, the time has come to fill the pact of The Wolf, The Sun, and the Dragon. I know my good brother will aid us and the Princess Meria has been a good ally to us and would be more than happy to deal a blow against the Reach and Stormlands."

Turning to his Dragonlords he spoke, "Mount your Dragons our time has come at last. **Dracarys**!"

" **Dracarys"** the dragonlords shouted as one, and from the Dragonmont, the roar of the Dragons answered their riders.

House Syrean: A red dragon on a white background their words are "Long Will We Fight"

House Mexaryes: A gold dragon on a gray background Words: "Devour All"

House Rhaegares: A two headed silver dragon on bronze Words: "We Fly Onwards"

House Quotlos: A black dragon on pale orange Words: "Forged By War"

House Lyseris: A dark blue dragon on lavender Words: "Honor and Beauty"

House Cromex: A green dragon on on gray Words: "We Crush All Before Us"

House Velyax: Three pale blue dragons on scarlet Words: "We do not Yield"

House Mearax: Two Silver dragons facing opposite directions on cyan Word: "We fly above"

House Danarys: A lilac dragon on brown Words: "We Do Not Boast, We Act"

 **Hope you all enjoy it, next time we get to the good stuff, hope y'all can't wait because I sure can't.**


	7. The Wolf Bares its Fangs

**Hey everyone Shadowwolf1997 back with an update on Empire of Winter. Thank you all for the Patience you've shown while waiting, Freshman year in military college is kicking my butt, but here is a very, very, very late Christmas Present for all my good readers. Sorry but Finals and being home for three glorious weeks after three months of military college kinda sapped my will to write, that and a combination of laziness and writer's block, but I'm back with new chapters for the new year. Maybe even some new stories. Disclaimer: I do not own A song of ice and fire that honor goes to George R. R. Martin and he alone.**

 **The Wolf Bares Its Fangs**

 _The Wolves Begin Their March_

As the Dawn filtered in through the window of the royal chambers of Winterfell, Queen Visenya Stark, Queen of the Winterlands and the Isles, wife of King Torrhen II Stark, and mother of the two eight year old princes Maesric and Braegon, and the now two year old princess Lyanna, woke and groggily lifted her body into a sitting position. A cold wind blew into the window causing her to shiver and bring the blanket around her bare body as her clothes were scattered along the floor. Turning she caught sight of her husband, her Torrhen, still fast asleep, the cold air not in the least bit bothering him. This caused Visenya to smile as she thought, 'All these years in the North and I am still not use to the cold.'

Deciding to lay back down, Visenya burrowed into her husband's side as he was the warmest thing in their bed. She felt his arm, thick with muscle from years of hard training, wrap around her own lithe, muscular body as he pulled her towards him.

"Sometimes I can't tell if you like being close to me because you love me or if it's because I keep you warm on these "chilly" mornings," a groggy yet amused voice spoke.

Smiling as she snuggled closer to her husband Visenya spoke, "Why can't it be both my love, after all you know us dragons love basking in warmth. You yourself said the blood of the men of the North runs hot to fight off the cold."

"I did say that didn't I." The King of the Winterlands mumbled as he pulled his Valyrian wife closer to him, her head now resting right under his chin.

As the two lay together, just enjoying the other's presence and the peace of the morning, both had almost fallen back asleep when a hard series of knocks hit the door to their chambers

"Your Majesties, a raven from Dragonstone has arrived, young Magnar Aegon has sent you a message." The voice of the old High Druid Magorn came from the other side of the ironwood door.

Letting go of Visenya and rising up from their bed, Torrhen grabbed his trousers from the floor and put them on before speaking.

"Come in High Druid, I will see what letter my good brother has sent us."

The Ironwood door opened as Torrhen finished putting on his jerkin, revealing the old High Druid, dressed in his gray robes, the weirwood staff with a decent sized globe of amber at the top denoting his status.

Visenya watched from the bed, using the furs and sheets to keep her naked body warm. For any other man she would have been angry at this, but the High Druid had delivered all her children and regularly attended to the health of the royal family, so old Magorn was spared this and simply bowed his head to the Queen of the Winterlands and the Isles.

"Here is the letter your Majesty." The old man said, handing the letter sealed with the three head red dragon of House Targaryen to Torrhen.

Breaking the seal, Torrhen opened the letter and read the contents, a serious expression coming to his face as he continued reading.

 _Dear Good Brother,_

 _I hope this letter finds you, Visenya, and the Children well. It has been ages since I've seen my nephews and I have yet to see my adorable little niece. But I have not sent this message to merely talked about my niece and nephews. The time has come for the Targaryens to bring order to the lands of central Westeros. I hereby call upon you, King Torrhen, Second of His Name, Guardian of the Winterlands and the Isles, Protector of the Gods of the Forest, Magnar of Winterfell, and King of the First Men, the Giants, and the Children of the Forest, to fulfill the oaths made under the Pact of the Wolf, the Sun, and the Dragon, to lend your aid in my conquest of five of the Southron Kingdoms. Please respond as soon as you can._

 _Signed King Aegon, First of His Name, Lord of Central Westeros, Protector of the Realm, and King of the Andals and the Southern First Men._

While he was reading Visenya, using the furs as a cloak, had gotten up and walked up behind her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her bare body against his back and resting her chin on his shoulder, looking over at the letter and reading it with her husband.

Looking to the love of her life as she finished reading the letter she merely waited for him to speak.

Instead of speaking, he reached up and clasped her hand with his and turned to the High Druid.

"High Druid Magorn, send out the Eagles to each of House Starks Major Vassals. Begin mobilization, in five months time I want the full force of the North either gathered at Moat Cailin. Tell Magnars Sunderland, Froststark, and Spearborn to Reinforce the Dragonstone Fleet. And have Magnar Greyjoy burn the coast of the Sunset Sea from Seaguard to Oldtown while Magnar Frostfangs joins him. Tell Vickon that if he does a particularly good job that Aegon might be willing to give the Winterlands the Arbor, and I the Arbor to him as a reward for a job well done."

Nodding before turning to leave to carry out his orders, the High Druid left the King and Queen's chambers.

Torrhen sighed before turning around to embrace his wife, kissing her lovingly before speaking, "And so it begins my love, the war that will change the very definition of Westeros."

Shaking her head in agreement with her husband, Visenya spoke, "Aye that's true, but with the Valyrian Dragonriders, our armies and fleets, and the Dornish cavalry this war is already all but won, but that is not important. I know you Torrhen, you are a brave man and you love protecting your people, but you do realize that not all will return from this."

Grunting in agreement with his wife Torrhen spoke, "You speak the truth, but many more have died from the countless wars waged against my ancestors by the rulers of the South. With your brother and your kin ruling those lands our people will finally now true peace, our children and their children will not have to send men to their deaths because of the pettiness of the Andal Kings of the South."

Visenya said nothing after her husband spoke, only staring at him with an unreadable look, then reaching up and placing her hands on his face brought him down and kissed him. Letting the furs fall off, leaving her exposed to the world

Torrhen responded by wrapping his arms around her waist. Letting Visenya guide him back to their bed, along the way she relieved him of his jerkin. As they fell onto the bed Torrhen allowed the warmth of his wife to carry him off from his stress and worries, knowing that moments like this were about to become incredibly rare.

Belatedly realizing that that had been Visenya's intention all along, Torrhen removed his last scraps of clothing before spending what time he could with his beautiful Valyrian, before the responsibilities of the Kingship once more weighed heavily upon his shoulders.

Later that day, eagles flew from Winterfell's rookery to all the vassals of House Stark. One of them arrived to the Dreadfort, home of the Boltons, their red wolf on a background of white flying proudly. But these were not the Boltons of old, the same men who flew the flayed man and skinned their enemies. The current Boltons were the descendents of a young Bolton and a Winterfell serving maid who had died in childbirth. The child was unwanted by his father, but, in an act of mercy, was raised by the then King of Winter. This young man was known as Domeric Snow, who grew with, and became the friend of the Prince of Winter Eddard Stark, who would eventually become King Eddard II, The "Bolton slayer" for destroying House Bolton in their final Rebellion.

Domeric had played a large role, capturing and dragging his father, now the Magnar of the Dreadfort and true born brothers to his friend and King. After the Rebellion, Domeric was made Domeric Bolton and given the Dreadfort as a reward for his loyalty and a the beautiful Lyarra Flint of the Mountain Clan Flints as a wife. He replaced the old Bolton sigil with a new one, a red wolf, signifying his gratitude and loyalty to the Starks. House Bolton also adopted new words, _Loyalty Born of Gratitude_ and eternal reminder of what they owe to House Stark.

The current Magnar of the Dreadfort was Jon Bolton, a long time friend of Torrhen and Visenya. He was also the current Marshall of the North, the man in charge of gathering and readying an army on the King's command. Upon receiving the message from his King, the Magnar of the Dreadfort wasted no time in sending out eagles to other Houses and marshalling his own forces, for there was much work to be done in the name of the King of the Winterlands and the Isles, and he would see it done perfectly.

All across the North and the Isles, Men, Giants, and Children were gathering for war. Forges were turning out weapons to be used by the soldiers. Armor, arrows, and shields were crafted and stockpiled. Many of the Mountain Clans and tribes of the Free Folk, sent their greatest warriors and spearwives to the citadel of Moat Cailin as the forces of the Northern Magnars began their march.

Wargs and their beastial companions traveled with them, as did men and giants astride great Northern Mammoths. The Harbingers appeared from their scattered groves and forts to join the march. Gryphon riders took the skies on the mighty mounts from their perches and mountain fortresses, they too answering the call of the King of Winter.

In the Iron Islands, the Ironborn were all to willing to answer the call of their King. Though much had changed for them in the millennia under Stark rule and the Islands prospered to once unimagined levels, the iron in their souls still sang and resonated when the call raid and pillage went out. The Iron Fleet emerged from its secret grottos and cliffside cave docks, joined by the formidable fleets of Bear Island and Wavecrest joining their Ironborn brothers-in-arms as they prepared to assail the Western coasts.

In the East, the great fleets of Houses Sunderland, Manderly, Froststark, and Spearborn gathered in the bite before sailing down south, their destination Dragonstone. At their head was Admiral Dacey Froststark, Grand Admiral of the Eastern Fleet and the Magnara of Hardhome, and with her Visenya Stark and her dragon Vhagar flying above the fleet.

In Dorne, the Yellow Toad, Princess Meria Martell, the Princess of Dorne, Lady of Sunspear, and Ruler of the Rhoynar and Dorinish Andals and First Men, was also gathering her forces. As her armies moved towards Yronwood were they would gather under her son Prince Nymor while her fleets were also moving to Dragonstone under Lord Dayne.

 _The Dragon Takes Flight_

Month later, Aegon sat on Balerion's back as the largest fleet in the history of Westeros gathered beneath him in Dragonstone's harbor his own fleet strengthened by his good-brother's Northmen and the Dornish. By his side was Rhaenys on Meraxes and Daena on her green and red dragon Ysera. Also slightly behind them was Visenya Stark nee Targaryen, having arrived with the Northern fleet to support he brother. Visenya and Lord Dayne had both given him the plans set down by Torrhen and Prince Nymor. The Dornish would assail the Reach from the sea with the Ironborn and Northmen while attacking the Marcher Stormlords. The Northmen would strike the Durrandons of the Riverlands and keep the Stormlords of the Riverlands busy while Aegon made his landing.

Aegon smiled as he thought of the rest of the plan. From there, his forces would establish a beachhead and then Orys and Baelor Mexaryes would head off to confront Argilac near Storm's End while Aegon, Rhaenys, and Daena would fly to meet Torrhen at Durran's Hall while Visenya dealt with the Vale. The rest of the Dragonlords would stay behind to make sure their beachhead at the mouth of Blackwater Rush wasn't threatened.

The Plan was perfect, but now came the hard part, carrying out the conquest of the five Southron kings, well four technically since the Durrandon's had conquered the Riverlands centuries ago.

With everything in order, Aegon signaled Belarion, and with a mighty roar, the Black behemoth took to the skies, the smaller Meraxes and Ysera right behind him. In turn, each of the other dragon riders took to the skies, flying behind their king and queens. Beneath them the massive Valyrian, Northern, and Dornish fleet took sail, its first destination the Blackwater Rush to deliver the army, and then, under the leadership of Queen Visenya, the city of Gulltown in the Vale to destroy the Vale Fleet and capture Gulltown.

And to the North, the King of Winter and Iron, Torrhen II Stark, gathered his host of warriors, wargs, gryphon riders, giants, mammoths, and Children into a mighty host in the citadel of the Neck, Moat Cailin. A great force numbering 50,000, ready to follow their King down South. By his side was his brother, Brandon Snowstark and his Marshall, Jon Bolton, and all his loyal Magnars and Magnaras. And of course the always faithful Forest, his ever loyal direwolf who had been with him since she was a puppy. Raising the Winteriron blade Ice over his head, his iron and bronze crown upon his head and adorned in his battle armor, he threw his arm forward, bringing Ice down to point towards the South.

"Rise up sons and daughters of the North, blood and glory await us." Torrhen yelled. The response was Forest lifting her head in a mighty howl that rang across the citadel and the marshes. The army of the Winterlands then released a mighty bellow that could be heard for miles as the gates of Moat Cailin opened, and the March south began.

So while fourteen dragons flew in the sky and hundreds of ships sailed across the water, the Sun rose on the horizon, the dawn of a new age.

And so the Dragons flew, while to the North, the wolves bared their fangs, thirsty for blood, the blood of the Stag. And thus in the year 2 BC, Aegon's conquest had begun.

 **Well all I can say about my long absence is sorry guys and thank you for your patience. I promise a longer and exciting chapter soon. Also trying to create a new story as well, a Fairy Tail and World of Warcraft crossover inspired by Count Chaos and his crossover. On another note for anyone interested in challenges, check out joe63129 and his page for some decent challenges. Thank you all for taking the time to read my work.**

 **P.S for any World of Warcraft fans, try to find the WOW references in this chapter good luck.**


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